The Deal
by wantstowriteforyou
Summary: Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz end up living together on the Hollis campus ground. High school is the last place they expect to bump into each other.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Um, hi! :)

**Disclaimer: **You probably know the drill! ;) I do not own "Pretty Little Liars".

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><p><strong>Kenneth Hall: <strong>_Kenneth, named after the former Dean of Hollis College, is a three-story high residence hall, which provides rooms for ten students during the academic school year, making it the smallest dormitory on the campus ground. The modern building has recently been renovated, and the bedrooms now all have central air conditioning, larger windows and hardwood floors. Each individual floor contains a shared living room, which includes a cable TV lounge area, and small kitchen. The spacious bedrooms are set up with one double bed and are connected to a private bathroom._

Aria Montgomery wistfully lifted her eyes from the folder she'd memorized ever since her father, Byron Montgomery, had handed it to her and glanced around the room. Spacious, her ass! The room was barely bigger than her suitcase and - despite the fact that it was only furnished with that which was absolutely necessary - there was not nearly enough space to properly walk around. The exterior was strangely unfamiliar and the walls were bare. Three boxes filled with her belongings were neatly stacked into a pile beside her suitcase. Aria had been assigned a second-floor, rear bedroom with a window big enough to take up an entire wall. Unfortunately, Carding Hall blocked her view of Rosewood and the room her window overlooked was occupied by a plump guy with bulgy eyes. The curtains were most likely going to be permanently closed.

Aria took a shaky breath as she sat down on her bed, the springs beneath the mattress squeaking loudly. She was alarmed to discover that her eyes were all wet. Aria hadn't cried when Mike and all the friends she'd made in Iceland had said goodbye to her. Aria had managed to keep herself together when she took a plane from Iceland with her parents. Aria had refused to turn on the waterworks when she had arrived in Rosewood and her parents had left. But now, there was no need to keep up the façade that she was a girl who would be fine on her own anymore. As soon as Aria hit the pillow, face-first, she finally broke down, the moisture in her eyes brimming over the edges. She sobbed, praying the pillow would somewhat suffice as a sound-barrier.

Contrary to what one might expect, it had been Aria's idea to return to Rosewood. After spending two years abroad in Iceland, she'd finally decided it was time to return to the place she still considered home, all to attempt to process the feelings revisiting the town in which one of her best friends - Alison DiLaurentis - had been murdered would inevitably stir up. It was an extreme measure Aria had decided to take after she realized the death of Alison was still dominating her life. Although she could probably never forget or get over it entirely, it was still pretty damn unhealthy to be so hung up on something that happened almost two long years ago.

After a lot pleading, talking, and begging, Ella and Byron had ultimately agreed to let Aria finish high school in Rosewood. The reason _they_ thought Aria wanted to return was that she missed her friends and her old life - which was partly true and partly a lie, because Aria hadn't talked to her friends in ages. Unwilling to leave the life he, Mike and Ella had started to build for themselves in Reykjavik in order to start all over again in Rosewood, Byron had tried and succeeded to get Aria a room in a Hollis College dormitory after calling in some favors from his old colleagues. The dorm wasn't supervised, but it did give Byron some piece of mind that his daughter would be staying in a safe environment.

This very moment was the first time Aria was starting to have second thoughts about coming here. Shivers racked through her body as salty drops leaked into her pillow. The tears gushed miserably down her cheeks.

When someone knocked on Aria's door, her whole body stiffened.

No. Surely that wasn't her door. Aria hadn't come across a soul when her dad helped her carry all her stuff into her room. But when Aria craned her neck and only saw darkness coming from under the edge of the curtain, she realized it must have been later than she'd originally thought. The knocking continued and Aria sat up straight, unsure what to do.

"Um, hello?" a male voice finally called out. "Are you okay?"

Aria hastily wiped the remnants of her tears away and stood. She brushed her hands nervously over her dress and waived her fingers through her hair, before she answered the door. A tall guy stood on the other side of the threshold and, although Aria was wearing six-inch-high heels, she had to look up to meet his piercing blue gaze. The guy gave her a boyish grin. Dark brown, curly hair was messily planted atop his head and his well-defined jaw and lean body were distinct features he would be easily remembered by. He looked nice, Aria decided. As in, a good guy to hang out with.

"Hey." The guy gave an awkward little wave. "Are you alright?" He took in Aria's red, puffy eyes, which pretty much answered his question. "First year?"

Aria shifted uncomfortably. "That obvious?"

"Nah. I'm just a very observant guy," the stranger lied. The left corner of his mouth lifted up and he extended his hand. "I'm Ezra Fitz."

"Aria Montgomery." She shook his hand with hers, before she let it fall to her side again. They were both silent for a couple beats.

"So… I'm on your floor, together with Lucian Hickman," Ezra said. He fumbled with his hands. "If you need anything, just ask."

"Okay," Aria said hesitantly. "Thanks."

"I would introduce you to Lucian, but he seems to have disappeared again." Ezra paused. "His girlfriend has an actual apartment, so he's rarely here."

"Oh." Aria nodded, too distracted to really care.

Ezra lingered. "And we should probably talk about dinner arrangements soon, since it will be mostly us anyway. I made dinner just now." Ezra raised his eyebrows suggestively, before he chuckled. "One of the two dishes I can actually cook, that is. You want some?"

Aria mustered the will to crack a small smile. "Sure. That'd be great." She closed the door behind her, leaving it unlocked.

The living room was nearly trice the size of Aria's bedroom. Two leather couches and a comfortable chair surrounded a round, oak table. A smaller coffee table supported the weight of a flat screen TV and a stereo system. The living room was sparsely furnished and relatively clean, but Aria wondered how long it would stay that way. The kitchen was directly linked to the living room, merging the two rooms into one, whilst the bathrooms could only be entered through the bedrooms. A door, which could be locked, led to the stairs, preventing students who weren't assigned to this floor from entering without permission.

The kitchen wasn't fancy nor scanty, but somewhere in between. Granite counter tops, plastic floorboards and the usual cooking equipment spread all over the place were the most blatant characteristics. There was a square dining table with six ladder-back chairs. Utensils and two plates were currently on it, as well as a pan on the stove.

"What kind of salad dressing would you like?" Ezra asked Aria as she sat down on a chair. He gently placed the pan on the table and motioned to several bottles containing the aforementioned salad dressing. Steam arose from the pan and Aria could distinguish macaroni and cheese as she peeked over the edge. When Aria didn't respond, Ezra cleared his throat. "I bought three different ones. I'm sure they're all pretty good." Ezra looked at Aria like she was crazy or half deaf, and Aria realized she probably needed to say something if she wanted to convince him otherwise.

"That one's fine," Aria said. She pointed to a random bottle - a honey-mustard blend. Ezra grabbed the bottle, walked over to the kitchen counter, unscrewed the cap from the bottle and squeezed, until a yellowy-golden substance came out. Aria studied him intently as he mixed the salad ingredients with salad servers.

Ezra looked over his shoulder, grinning at Aria when he caught her looking. "So what are you studying?" he asked.

It was the one question Aria was prepared for. Seeing as how Aria was still in high school, she technically wasn't allowed to live on a college campus. But with Byron's persuasion, and perhaps taking advantage of the terrible organization at Hollis, he'd somehow managed to get her a room for the year. If Aria wanted to keep it, however, she was going to have to make sure no one would find out she wasn't really a student there.

"I'm leaning towards English," Aria said vaguely. This wasn't really a lie - she definitely wanted to study English literature. "What about you?"

Ezra shrugged and grabbed the salad bowl. He sat down across from Aria and placed it on the table. "That's great! I'm majoring in English." He smiled at Aria and Aria meekly returned the favor.

"Which year are you in?" Aria asked, praying this wasn't his freshman year. Ezra grabbed a serving spoon and started putting mac and cheese on Aria's plate.

"I'm almost done with my studies," Ezra said and Aria let out a sigh in relieve. She motioned she had enough and Ezra put some food on his own plate as well. They started eating in silence.

Aria, however, was determined to say something rational in Ezra's presence. "How did you end up in Rosewood?"

Ezra took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "I don't know exactly."

"You don't know?" Aria gave Ezra a funny look, while Ezra got himself some salad. When he saw Aria's face, he spoke.

"Well, I _do _know, obviously," Ezra said. "I just didn't choose Rosewood for a very specific reason. It wasn't too far from where I grew up and I like small towns. The English program was pretty good. I knew some friends who went here as well. I guess that's it." He took another bite and pointed his fork in Aria's direction. "Why did you pick Rosewood?"

"I was born here," Aria replied. "And then there was the decent English program, so it wasn't such a tough choice."

"And you chose to live in a dorm with a bunch of strangers instead of your parents," Ezra stated.

"Yes."

"Why? I mean, Kenneth Hall isn't that bad," Ezra said, shaking his head, "but this is a carton box compared to the mansions in Rosewood."

"My parents are in Iceland."

Ezra was silent for a moment, before he nodded. "Okay. I can see how that might be a problem. "

"Yeah, it's not very convenient," she said softly. Aria lifted her fork to take her very first bite. She chewed on Ezra's homemade food and nearly had an orgasm. "Wow, this is really good!" Aria exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

"Thanks," Ezra said. He played with the food on his plate. "I've been in college for four years and I still don't know how to cook anything besides this and pancakes." He gave an embarrassed chuckle.

"Mac and cheese is actually the only thing I can make besides toast," Aria admitted.

Ezra laughed. "Oh, man! I'm thinking a cookbook would be a pretty solid investment for us."

Aria laughed as well, surprised to be able to do so after brawling her eyes out only minutes ago. "I like that. _My _plan was take-out and ready meals."

"It's always good to have a back-up," Ezra said. "Especially if we're going to experiment with food." He shuddered. "I have some very bad experiences."

Aria smiled and took some more bites. "We should probably get that book as soon as possible then." She took another bite and thought about for a minute. "Although I wouldn't object to eating this all week."

"How does tomorrow sound?" Ezra asked, grinning at Aria. "It'll give us a chance to get to know each other a little better."

"My classes are starting," Aria said slowly. "But I can go after three-ish?"

"It's a date," Ezra replied.

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><p>It took Aria and Ezra less than an hour to figure out they both had the same favorite book (<em>To Kill A Mockingbird <em>by Harper Lee), disliked Charles Dickens' writing style, and were aspiring writers. Aria also discovered Ezra grew up in Philadelphia with his brother and his parents, who were now divorced. She ended up telling him a bit about living in Iceland after Ezra mentioned he spent some time in Reykjavik.

They looked up from their now empty plates when the door in the living room opened and Aria was startled by how much it felt like she was in an average apartment. An apartment she was sharing with two older guys. An apartment the second guy just walked into. This had to be Lucian. He had a thin face and floppy, blonde hair. Wearing a faded jeans and a leather jacket, Aria deemed him well-dressed, but on his scrawny, short body, the clothes looked slightly ridiculous.

"Hey!"

"Hey," Ezra replied. The guy walked over to Ezra, who stood, and they hugged each other that way guys do, putting one arm around the other person and giving them a comforting pat on the back. Ezra turned to Aria and confirmed her suspicions. "This is Lucian."

Aria politely smiled up at him. "Hi, I'm Aria. I live on this floor, too."

Lucian studied Aria for a moment, his eyes grazing her body. Finally, he waggled his eyebrows. "Are you shitting me, woman?"

Aria glanced at Ezra. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Ezra was snorting to keep himself from laughing, and Aria launched into a strange sort of coughing fit. "I am _definitely_ not shitting you," Aria finally said, somehow maintaining a straight face.

"Good," Lucian said with a snort of his own, before he abruptly turned around. He walked over to a door and went into the room behind it, which had to be his. Aria grimaced at his disappearing back. Only seconds later, Lucian came out again.

"I'll be at Anne's place until the next weekend. We'll get to know each other better then," Lucian said, winking at Aria. He waved them goodbye with a box of condoms in his hands. Once Aria could hear his footsteps moving steadily down the staircase, she burst out laughing.

"How on earth does he get laid?"

"It's a question I ask myself every single day." Ezra shook his head.

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><p>Aria and Ezra continued talking after Lucian left, but after a while Aria retreated to her room to mope some more. She didn't have the energy to commit to unpacking just yet, the time difference finally catching up with her. She took a long, hot shower to relax her tense muscles and wash her hair, before she changed into the first suitable thing to wear to bed she could find in her suitcase. Aria then collapsed on her bed. It felt like only minutes had passed when her alarm awoke her the next morning and Aria established she was jet-lagged.<p>

Noun: Snooze button. Definition: Best invention ever. After pressing it several times, though, Aria cursed loudly when she saw she was going to be late if she didn't get up anytime soon. She rushed into the shower and quickly dressed herself. She hastily applied her make-up and brushed her hair. Jeffrey Campbell Tardy boots, a Trina Turk top and her favorite pair of jeans would have to do for the first day of her senior year.

Aria slung a bag over her shoulder and decided she had everything she needed. When she came out of her room, Ezra was in the kitchen. A book was sprawled open in front of him, and buttered toast and a cup of coffee were on the table as well. He was already dressed and showered, his hair still damp. A briefcase leaned against the leg of the table. Ezra looked up when he saw Aria.

"Morning!" he said cheerily, taking a sip from his cup of coffee. Aria didn't even bother to look his way while she raced to the door.

"I'll see you at three!" Aria called out, before she slammed the door, leaving a stunned Ezra behind. Aria descended the staircase, maneuvering her way around all the other people trying to do the same, and ran through the entrance. She made her way to her bike, parked near the brick wall of the building.

Moving did have its down sides and that included not having a car. Aria's car would eventually be shipped to the states, but at the moment she was going to have to transport herself on a bike. Aria pedaled as quickly as she could.

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><p>About fifteen minutes after she left, Aria noticed a silver Toyota Camry had slowed down to her pace. When the window opened and Ezra called out her name, she looked up.<p>

"You could have asked for a ride," he yelled over the engine.

"I'm fine, thanks," Aria said, keeping her eyes fixated on the road in front of her. How was she going to explain herself if he had to drop her off at the high school parking lot?

"Alright. Well, I'll see you later."

"See you."

The window closed and Ezra smoothly accelerated. Aria kept on pedaling. Her breathing was labored when she arrived at Rosewood's local high school, just when the first bell rang. She wasn't the only one arriving this late, but she was disappointed to find she didn't see anyone she recognized. Aria didn't pause to take in the scenery - she'd have plenty of time to do that later.

She climbed the steps in front of the school and entered the building. Fortunately, she already had her schedule printed out from the school site. Aria took it from her bag and studied the piece of paper. Her first period was AP English from E. Fitz.

E. Fitz? That couldn't be right.

Aria frowned when she slammed into a wall. In a daze, she looked up.

But it wasn't a wall at all. It was Ezra Fitz.

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><p><strong>AN: **So should I continue this or not? Please let me know! :) And please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hey! :) Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed the first chapter.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" isn't mine.

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><p><em>Aria frowned when she slammed into a wall. In a daze, she looked up.<em>

_But it wasn't a wall at all. It was Ezra Fitz._

Ezra's arms went around Aria to steady her, but he quickly let go when she'd regained her footing. His mouth was slightly ajar when two innocent, hazel eyes looked into his. Aria gasped, her eyes widening.

"You!" Aria breathed.

"Y_ou_!" Ezra retorted. He took notice of the schedule in Aria's hand and the clothes she was wearing - she was definitely a student. In a matter of seconds, Ezra's entire demeanor changed. The easy-going air Ezra had about him disappeared. He looked at Aria like she was something dirty stuck in his shoe sole.

"You're not in college," Ezra said, staring straight at Aria. People were brushing past her, hurrying their way to their first class of the school year, and Aria felt really tiny as she was unintentionally shoved around by several people. Aria and Ezra seemed to be the only people unwilling to move in a mass of people.

Aria took in Ezra's attire as well. She paled as she noticed he was wearing a sweater vest over a blouse, a briefcase in his hand, most certainly not how most students dressed around here. But Ezra couldn't be a teacher at her school. There was just no way that Aria Montgomery was living with a teacher. Was there?

"I-"

"You're in high school?"

"I… You're not in college either!" Aria exclaimed. The accusation escaped her lips before she could stop herself, not knowing what else to say.

"How would you know that? I could be teaching part time and taking classes on the side," Ezra disagreed.

"Are you teaching part time and taking classes on the side?"

Ezra ignored Aria's question and studied her for a brief moment. "How did you even get into a college dorm? What are you, sixteen?"

"Seventeen," Aria automatically corrected him. A flush spread over her cheeks as Ezra took in her petite frame. "Not that it's any of your business."

The second bell rang, making them both officially late. People had dissipated into the classrooms they were supposed to be in. Aria planned on doing the same and brushed past Ezra, but his hand shot out to stop her. She froze when he grabbed her arm.

"Oh, I think it is my business," Ezra said in Aria's ear, lowering his voice.

Aria simply looked up at him over her shoulder. "If you'll excuse me, or I'll be late for class." She pulled her arm free from his grasp and continued walking down the now truly empty hallway.

Ezra was mentally cursing himself. This year was supposed to be a year of change for him. This year was supposed to be the year where he'd turn his life around. He was twenty-three, he had his degree in English and he was already starting his first teaching job. Another part of his plan had been a brand new bachelor pad, but that was where things didn't seem to go like he'd planned. Apartment prices had turned out to be higher than Ezra had expected, especially with the current economic crises, so he had to opt for living yet another year in a college dorm - a cheaper, but illegal, solution. Ezra wasn't sure what would happen if Hollis found out that he was living in Kenneth Hall without taking any actual classes, but he was pretty sure it was going to cost him a lot of money. If people found out he was living in Kenneth Hall _with one of his high school students_, it just might endanger his job and enhance his chances of getting an orange jumpsuit before his twenty-fourth birthday. Ezra decided he and Aria definitely needed to discuss this. Aria had only taken a couple steps when Ezra's voice rang out.

"Aria?" he said hesitantly. She stopped walking, her back turned towards him. She could feel his gaze on her. "Let's not tell anybody about this, okay?"

Aria didn't say anything, not moving an inch for a short moment, before she continued walking. Ezra was confused and ignored.

Aria's dramatic exit was a little ruined, because they were both heading in the same direction. Ezra followed her, staying several steps behind.

Aria paused when she reached the door of Ezra Fitz' classroom. Through the window, she could see people she did and didn't recognize. A small smile came over her lips when she noticed Spencer Hastings, one her old best friends, was among them. She should have known Spencer would be there - there weren't any AP classes Spencer was unwilling to take. As Aria opened the door, she saw Emily Fields and Hanna Marin as well. Spencer's and Emily's appearances hadn't changed a bit; Hanna's had. Aria blinked her eyes in disbelief when she saw Hanna, ignoring the urge to rub them.

The class was buzzing with conversation about the summer as Aria made her way to the only open seat that was left - next to Hanna, right in front of the teacher's desk. Although Aria had emailed her friends to tell them she was coming back, which had been the first contact she'd made with them in fourteen months, they hadn't really responded yet. Aria was afraid her friends were pissed at her because she didn't keep in touch. But to Aria's surprise, Hanna threw her arms around Aria when she saw her, enthusiastically enveloping her in a hug. There was barely enough Hanna left for Aria to hug back.

"Aria!" Hanna bellowed. "You look amazing!"

"So do you," Aria replied, a bit taken aback. Hanna released Aria and Aria studied her friend. "I barely recognized you."

"Yeah?" Hanna smiled, clearly pleased with Aria's comment. "Well, a lot has changed since you left," Hanna remarked, just when Ezra arrived. He had been confused for a good half minute as to why Aria had entered the classroom he needed to be in, before he realized he was her teacher. Not only was he living with a high school student, but he was living with a high school student who was in his senior AP English class. His day was just getting better and better.

A hushed silence fell over the room as Ezra made his way to his desk. He dropped his briefcase on the floor and wrote his name on the chalk board. He underlined it and turned around.

"Um, hi. My name is Mr. Fitz. I'm your new English teacher."

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><p>Ezra immediately launched into a lecture about what they were going to be doing this school year and what his expectations were from his students. He tried to avoid looking in Aria's direction as much as possible throughout the hour, but this proved to be more difficult than he'd originally thought, because she was right in the middle of his visual area. Aria distractedly stared out of the window for most of the period, trying not to think about what it would be like to face this guy outside of the high school building.<p>

When the bell finally rang, they were both relieved. Aria wanted to put as much distance between herself and Ezra as she could, but unfortunately he had other ideas. In his classroom, Aria had to abide by his rules and he was going to take advantage of that power. He wanted to talk and he wanted her to listen.

"Miss Montgomery, could you stay behind for a moment?"

Aria narrowed her eyes at Ezra, but did as he asked.

She was scared, an emotion she didn't handle well. She wanted to stay in Rosewood. She'd risked everything by coming here. If this didn't work out, she'd have to return to Iceland. A complete stranger now had knowledge that could get her in a lot of trouble.

Ezra waited until the classroom had emptied out and he then closed the door. Aria put her notebook in her bag and looked up at Ezra.

"Last I checked, you need some sort of a degree to teach at high schools. You told me you were nearly done with your studies," Aria said accusingly. She grabbed her bag and put the strap over her shoulder. "You basically said you were still in college."

"And you implied it, so it looks like we both lied," Ezra replied. He confirmed Aria's suspicions - he wasn't in college anymore. Aria tried not to let her small victory show on her face.

"Implying is not the same as lying," she said.

"It's not. But that doesn't change the fact that this whole situation is fucked up."

Aria took a deep breath. "I managed to realize that all on my own the minute I bumped into you in the hallway. Was there anything else you wanted to say to me?"

"Yes," Ezra said. "It seems like we both shouldn't be living at Kenneth. The way I see it, we keep living there for the time being until we come up with a better solution." He bit the inside of his cheek, before he sheepishly said his next words. "I won't tell on you, if you won't tell on me?"

Aria raised her eyebrows at him and Ezra shrugged. Aria considered his offer carefully, thinking it over. Was she going to get a better offer? Probably not.

"You've got yourself a deal," Aria said.

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><p>Aria practically ran from Ezra's classroom. Two classes and a lot of new faces later, Ezra had his lunch break. Unfortunately, eating wasn't what he was going to be doing. Ezra checked his watch when he pulled up near an apartment complex in the center of Rosewood - he had plenty of time left. He swiftly parked his car, entered the building and took the elevator to the top floor. After Ezra knocked twice, a door opened.<p>

"Ezra?" Hardy's face appeared with a look of surprise on it. "Hey man! I didn't expect to see you today. Missing me already?" He grinned.

"You don't know the half of it," Ezra replied.

"That bad?" Hardy asked. He stepped aside, so Ezra could enter his apartment. Ezra nodded at Hardy, signaling the affirmative.

"How _are _my replacements?" Hardy asked, closing his apartment door.

"I got stuck with Lucian Hickman."

Hardy made a face.

"The other one is even worse," Ezra continued.

"Who is he?"

"She," Ezra corrected him.

"Huh?"

"It's a she, not a he."

Hardy's eyes widened. "They put a girl on your floor? I thought they didn't mix genders."

"Well, they do now."

"Is she hot?"

Ezra closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't even want to think about the answer to that question."

"Why?"

Because Ezra was living on the same floor as Aria, bringing girls back to his place was indubitably going to be wildly inappropriate and, because she was his student, fooling around with Aria herself was obviously out of the question. An idea popped into Ezra's head.

"Can I crash here tonight?" he asked, ignoring Hardy's question.

"As much as I would like to say yes," Hardy said, dragging out a dramatic pause, "I'm going to have to say no."

"Why?"

"I asked you a question first," Hardy replied. "What's so bad about your roommate? Is she weird?"

"No."

"Is she crazy?"

"Not that I'm aware of..."

"Is she cute?"

"I'm gonna go with genetically aesthetically pleasing."

Hardy snorted. "Then what's the problem?" he asked.

"She's my-"

Ezra looked up when he felt another presence in the room. A girl - wearing an oversized blouse, belonging to Hardy - was leaning against the doorpost of Hardy's bedroom. She was nicely proportioned and her wavy, chestnut brown hair swayed when she walked over to Hardy. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Who's this?" she asked when she'd captivated Hardy's attention.

"Uh, Lissa, this Ezra. Ezra, Lissa," Hardy said. He motioned between the two of them and the girl politely smiled at Ezra.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," Ezra replied. He glanced at his watch and noticed he had fifteen more minutes left. "You know what?" Ezra said to Hardy. "I'll talk to you later."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's chapter three. I already had it typed out on my laptop, so I might as well upload it. :) There's not going to be an A in this story. Emily, Hanna and Spencer also haven't gotten out of touch with each other.

I really want to update Secrets Unraveled, but I don't have a clue what to write for that story at the moment. As soon as I do, I will update that one as well.

**Disclaimer: **The usual.

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><p>Aria dreaded lunch. She dreaded the moment where she'd have to walk into the cafeteria with the uncertainty of where to sit. Fortunately, she needed to get her food first. Food at Rosewood High was edible, but it was still high school cafeteria food. The hairnetted ladies served it with bored expressions on their faces. The cafeteria itself reeked of bleach, sweat and deodorant. Long tables were occupied by groups of people, who sat on blue chairs. They were too busy gossiping with their friends to pay much attention to Aria.<p>

Aria paid for a salad at the cash registry and turned around to face the rest of the student body. When Aria studied the room in a panicked manner, she realized several guys from her senior class were watching her, sizing her up, trying to figure out if the tiny brunette was someone they'd be interested in. Aria tried to look as self-assured and confident as she possibly could while she was feeling the absolute opposite. She considered glancing at her phone to make it seem like she was waiting for someone.

People walked past Aria. They were going in different directions, but they had a destination nonetheless. Aria's panic started to multiply with the knowledge that she didn't have one, the look on her face one of a deer caught in headlights.

Aria was startled when she heard her name. Confused and distracted, she scanned the cafeteria. Finally, her eyes settled on Spencer. She was frantically motioning for Aria to come over. Relief washed over Aria's features as she made her way through the crowd.

"You look so lost," Spencer said to Aria, giving her a sympathetic chuckle.

"Why don't you sit with us?" a guy asked Aria. She was stumped to find it was Toby Cavanaugh. She tried not to let her surprise show on her face and just nodded gratefully, sitting down in the chair next to Spencer.

Aria looked around the table. Hanna sat next to Spencer, and a guy Aria didn't recognize sat next to Hanna. Emily sat opposed to Spencer, with Toby on her right and an unfamiliar girl on her left. Lucas sat on the eighth chair, across from the male stranger and next to the female stranger.

"I can't believe you're back," Emily said, smiling at Aria once she'd sat down.

"Yeah," Spencer agreed. "This is so great!"

Hanna leaned her elbow on the table and turned her head sideways so she could look at Aria. "When did you get back?" she asked.

"Yesterday," Aria said. She looked at all of her friend individually for a moment. "I meant to call you, but I just-" She cut her sentence short. Aria's parents had taken Aria to Iceland after Alison's disappearance to get away from it all, and to give her some time to deal with Alison's death. Because, let's face it, Alison was probably dead. In reality, it had a contrary effect. The only thing moving to Iceland had brought was that Aria didn't have her friends to help her process. When Aria was so far removed from them, she felt like her friends were only reminders to her of what had happened to Ali. In didn't take long before Aria cut off all contact she had with Emily, Spencer and Hanna.

"It's okay," Emily assured Aria. "Sometimes getting out of touch for a while is just what you have to do."

"It's all good," Hanna pitched in.

Aria smiled and took a bite from her salad. "Thanks," she said. She looked at the two strangers at the table and then at her friends. "So are you going to introduce me or what?"

The girl beside Emily immediately perked up and had gotten just about enough of an invitation to introduce herself. "I'm Maya St. Germaine," Maya said. She popped a grape in her mouth, chewed and swallowed. "You're Aria?"

Aria nodded.

Emily looked over at Maya and then at Aria. "She's… She's my girlfriend," Emily said hesitantly.

"Really?" Aria's eyes widened slightly. "Wow! Oh. Wow." She nodded and finally smiled. "That's great."

Emily took Maya's hand in hers and gazed adoringly at her girlfriend. There was a short silence, before a guy cleared his throat to get Aria's attention.

"Caleb Rivers," he said once she focused on him, lifting his hand by way of greeting. "Hanna's boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he said, while Hanna leaned in for a kiss. He immediately kissed her back, slipping his tongue in her mouth.

"God, I'm eating!" Lucas exclaimed. "Why do I have to sit between the couples of PDA?"

Hanna broke away from Caleb. She grinned, because Lucas was looking down at his food. "How biblical of you," she commented.

Lucas looked up and grinned back. "You're going to hell."

Hanna snorted. "Please! You and Mona are so much worse."

Lucas gave an indignant "Hmph!" and continued eating.

"So how's your schedule?" Spencer asked Aria.

* * *

><p>The remainder Aria's first day progressed awfully slowly, but Aria soon came to find she didn't really mind. She wasn't looking forward to going "home" and running into her English teacher, so school was the better option.<p>

Aria ended up sitting next to Toby during Biology and he was the entire class really, really nice to her. At the end of the period, Aria had a hard time remembering why she and her friends had always thought he was such a creep. The guy was adorable, especially when he ushered in some non-threatening smiles. Toby was definitely a guy who should utilize the corners of his mouth more often. Aria wasn't very surprised when Toby finally told her he and Spencer had been dating for four months.

In History, Aria sat next to Hanna. Caleb and Lucas sat in front of them. Aria rapidly found out that the three of them were a hilarious combination and Aria ended up laughing so hard, she nearly got herself a detention on the first day.

During her last period, Aria went back to being the new kid again, however. She had Chemistry and none of her friends were in her chemistry class. Aria had to sit by herself. Chemistry was the last thing on Aria's mind while the teacher was droning on and on about structural formulas, stereoisomerism and the pH of solutions with an acid or a base. Instead, Aria was thinking about Ezra Fitz.

Aria had been running from her problems, but it was something she didn't want to do anymore. She wanted some closure and she was intent on getting it. She wasn't about to let Ezra take that away from her. Even if it meant avoiding him for the time being.

But as the hour progressed, a realization struck Aria. Wasn't avoiding him exactly what she had been doing the past two years? Running away from problems?

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the last period, Aria was determined to talk to Ezra. Chairs scraped over the shiny floor and people immediately started talking with one another. Aria headed straight for Ezra's classroom. But the classroom was already empty when she got there, the door locked and the lights switched off.

Aria sighed and turned on her heels. This was just her luck. She walked over to her locker and practiced the combination she'd received during one of her classes earlier that day. She stuffed her books in it. After she put on her leather jacket and closed her door of her locker, she left.

Aria walked painfully slowly to her bike. The school parking lot was relatively empty, but there were still a lot of people talking with each other in front of the school. Again, Aria pedaled as fast as she could, whilst hoping nobody would notice she wasn't going in the direction of her house. Twenty minutes later, she reached Kenneth Hall. She parked her bike, the brick building looming over her.

When Aria reached the floor she was sharing with Ezra and Lucian, she came to find they both weren't there. Aria dropped her bag in her room, before she sat down on the couch. She would just wait until Ezra would return.

And waiting, she did. Aria waited. And waited and waited. She ordered a pizza, so she wouldn't miss Ezra if he happened to come home during the time it would take for her to go to the grocery store. But he didn't come. After a while, she turned on the television. After a longer while, the images were starting to blur and her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. Finally, Aria fell asleep.

* * *

><p>A lot of college students tend to study at night, which is why the Hollis College library was open until midnight. It was therefore also the perfect place for Ezra to kill some time, because he wanted to avoid Kenneth. Aria had agreed to his offer, but there was no telling if she would stick to her word. There was, however, not much else Ezra could do.<p>

Books always had a calming effect on Ezra, and that afternoon and evening, Ezra emerged himself into a different world - a world of books. With ten minutes to spare before closing time, he left the library and headed home. He prayed Aria was already fast asleep.

Ezra's wish was granted. He quietly opened the door and noticed right away that the television was on, illuminating the room and blaring out sounds. Ultimately, his eyes landed on Aria. Aria was curled up on the couch, still wearing the clothes she'd worn to school. Her head was leaning on a pillow, her eyes closed. Eyelashes brushed against her cheek. Her breathing was steady, her chest rising and falling. The sounds from the television didn't seem to bother her. But Aria wasn't sleeping restlessly. She twitched and threw an arm over her head. She tossed and turned, her brow furrowed. Her full lips trembled and parted. Every now and then a soft moan escaped her lips. The sounds were shrill and unpeaceful.

Ezra found himself studying her for a long time. Was he supposed to leave her there? Finally, he took a death breath and walked over to her side. He turned the television off. After a brief hesitation, he slipped his arms under her body and lifted her. She was a petite girl; it didn't take him much effort.

Ezra didn't dare breathing as Aria stopped twitching. She unconsciously shifted into a more comfortably position against him. Ezra's heart started pounding in his chest and he was genuinely afraid the sound might wake her up. He swallowed and started walking towards Aria's bedroom. Her door was slightly ajar and he managed to pry it open further with his foot.

Aria's room was small; just as small as his room. All her stuff was still in boxes and a suitcase, except for a couple books piled on her desk. The spines of the books were facing away from Ezra and he ignored the urge to see what the titles were. Instead, he walked over to her unmade bed. He gently lay her on top of the mattress.

Aria changed her position once again, curling herself into a ball. Her dark, knotted hair framed her face. Her features were relaxed in unconsciousness. She slept more peacefully now, a small smile carving her lips. Ezra stared at her beautiful face for a moment, which was taking his breath away, before he shook his head. How could this girl cause him so many problems? He lifted her feet and grabbed the cover from under it. He spread it over Aria's body.

After a last glance, he turned around and closed the door behind him. It was time for him to get some sleep as well.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Mona and Lucas? Not gonna happen. I know that. But I really don't want Lucas to pine over Hanna. So yeah. :) Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Lots of dialogue in this one. I hope you like it! :3 Please review.

CheyeM1287 - Thanks! :) My twitter is LucyHaleQuotes.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is not mine.

* * *

><p>Ezra's alarm blared out sounds at seven on the dot. After a refreshing shower, he got dressed. Ezra usually referred to his style as "floor-style", which basically meant he'd wear whatever was on his floor that didn't smell strange. Now that he had an actual job, however, he decided on a more professional ensemble of clothing. An uncomfortable blouse and a tie, it was.<p>

As Ezra stumbled towards the kitchen area, he made himself a cup of coffee. When he had gotten a decent amount of caffeinated fuel in his system, he started to resemble his normal self again. And his normal self immediately realized Aria was probably still fast asleep - he had forgotten to set her alarm.

Ezra's fist pounded on Aria's bedroom door. After a few moments, Ezra could distinguish a groan and Ezra heard Aria get up, slamming the bathroom door behind her. Ezra had nearly finished his second cup of coffee, when Aria entered the room.

"Morning!" Ezra said just as cheerily as he had the day before. Aria hadn't had two cups of coffee yet and only managed to respond with a grunt.

She was eating her toast, when Ezra stood.

"You're leaving already?" Aria asked.

"Yes."

Aria glanced at her phone to see the time and cursed loudly. "I'll never make it on time!"

One corner of Ezra's mouth hitched up a fraction of an inch and he prayed not all her mornings were this rushed. "Come on," he said, motioning for Aria to hurry up. "I'll drive you."

Aria looked him square in the eye and gave him a quizzical look. She was hesitating. Ezra noticed.

"It's just a ride, Aria."

"Someone could see us."

"I'll drop you off around the block."

"Someone could still see us."

"So tell them your mom dropped you off."

"My mom's in Iceland."

"But everyone else doesn't know that."

Aria contemplated what to do some more.

"I _will _give you a detention if you arrive late in my class," Ezra threatened, a glint in his eyes.

"Oh, that's low, Mr. Fitz."

* * *

><p>Aria and Ezra crossed the lot. They got in the car and Ezra started the engine. They didn't talk as Ezra pulled out of the parking lot with a sharp U-turn. When Ezra started speeding up on the main road, Aria found her voice.<p>

"So I was thinking that maybe I should transfer out of your class," she said quietly.

Ezra didn't look her way. "Don't."

"I feel like it's the right thing to do."

"It's not."

"It is. It's just going to be too awkward looking at you over a desk in the morning, calling you Mr. Fitz, while sharing mac and cheese with you in the evening."

Ezra took a deep breath. "I know this situation isn't ideal, but it's only temporary."

"What do you mean? I'm not planning on moving out anytime soon." She glanced at Ezra. "As long as you won't make me, that is."

"I've been saving up some money for a while now and I have a job, so I should be able to afford my own place soon enough. You shouldn't transfer out of my class." Ezra made a left turn. "In fact, you can't. All the other English classes are full."

"Of course they are," Aria muttered under her breath. Her lack of sleep and this car ride with Ezra were taking its toll on her good humor.

"Come on!" Ezra said, nudging Aria with his elbow. "It won't be that bad. Besides, I thought we'd come to some sort of an understanding yesterday."

"We did."

"And I trust you to keep this quiet."

"I will keep it quiet."

"I mean it." His eyes briefly went to Aria. "Don't tell your friends anything. Meet them at their place, not yours. Don't have guys over. I'll do the same."

"I said I would keep this quiet!" Aria repeated, a little annoyed with his condescending tone. She didn't like to be patronized.

"And I met you only two days ago, so excuse me if I'm hesitant to take your word for it."

"Well, you can. We both have something at stake here."

They both fell silent after that. The purring of the engine was the only sound that filled the car. Ezra stopped in front of one of the very few traffic lights in Rosewood and continued driving once it had turned green.

"Ezra?" Aria said after a minute. She hated awkward silences.

"Yes?"

"I fell asleep on the couch."

"Really? Then how did you end up in your room?"

Aria was about to ask him the same thing, when the car stopped. It was time for Aria to get out. Aria studied her surroundings; there was nobody to be seen. As soon as she'd established that, she got out of the car. Ezra immediately continued driving towards the school, and Aria was left wondering if the fact that he didn't want to be seen dropping her off was the only reason he was in such a hurry.

* * *

><p>Aria still arrived several minutes late, despite the trouble Ezra had gone through with driving Aria. Ezra let her get away with it, though, and allowed her to inconspicuously find a seat.<p>

During lunch, Ezra had the pleasure of seeing Aria again. He was on "lunch duty", as all the other teachers referred to it. He and one other teacher had to eat their lunch in the cafeteria in order to supervise the students. Which meant Ezra couldn't hole up in his classroom or hide in the teacher's lounge like he'd been planning on doing.

Ezra couldn't really be bothered to watch over the students, because after two minutes it already became clear to Ezra that nothing interesting was going to happen. He was sitting at the table reserved for teachers; it looked exactly the same as all the other lunch tables, except that it was a little smaller. The other teacher that was supposed to join him wasn't there yet.

Ezra's eyes directly went to his floormate, seated at the opposite side of the cafeteria. He could easily find her in the mass, as she was the only person he recognized. She was smiling, looking infinitely happier than she had the first night he met her. Even though Ezra didn't really know her, the sight of it made him smile just as hard as she was. She was the closest thing to a friend that he had at this school. Which was pathetic, because Ezra was pretty sure she was terrified he was going to do something that was going to ruin her life. In her eyes, at least.

It took Ezra a while to look at anyone but Aria, but when he studied her for a moment longer, he realized she was laughing at something a tall guy was saying to her. She was flirting. She was flirting and it was hard to miss. The guy most certainly had noticed and Ezra did too, even from such a large distance. Aria kept shooting him little smiles. The guy responded by making jokes and touching her arm. Apparently the jokes were funny, because Aria repeatedly threw her head back to laugh. Aria also kept doing the whole gazing up and down thing - she wasn't hiding that she liked him.

"Are you worried about Noel Kahn?"

Ezra jumped in his seat when he heard a female voice from his side. He looked up. A tiny, dark-haired woman stood beside him. She gave Ezra a friendly smile and his smile in return resembled more of a grimace.

"I-I'm sorry. Wh-What?"

"Noel Kahn?" The woman motioned with her head to the guy talking to Aria; the guy Ezra was staring at. "Are you worried about him?"

"Err, should I be?" Ezra replied, befuddled.

The woman shrugged. "He's always been a troublemaker. Stole the answers to three midterms last year. I wouldn't be surprised if he's up to something again." She stared at Noel for a moment, before she shook her head, gave a wistful sigh, and turned back to Ezra. "I'm Mrs. Welch."

"Ezra Fitz." He shook the woman's hand.

"I know," Mrs. Welch said. She gave him a warm smile. "The new English teacher."

* * *

><p>"Was that Noel Kahn talking to you?" Hanna asked Aria. They were both searching their lockers for the books they needed. Hanna's locker was coincidentally practically next to Aria's.<p>

"It was," Aria confirmed.

Hanna chuckled. "I remember you always had the biggest crush on him. What did he say?"

Aria shrugged. "Just asked me some questions about Iceland." She took a book from her locker and stuffed it in her bag. "And, you know, asked me if I wanted to catch a movie with him tomorrow night," Aria added casually.

Hanna turned to look at Aria. "Really?" Hanna grinned. "That's so great! What did _you _say?"

"I told him I couldn't, because I was already hanging out with you."

Hanna's brow furrowed. "We had plans to hang out tomorrow night?"

"We do now," Aria said, closing her locker. She started walking down the hallway and Hanna was left to catch up with her.

"Wait! Why would you say that? Don't you want to go out with him?"

"I do," Aria said. "So if we happen to run into him at the pizza place he told me he's going with some of his friends, what's the harm?" Aria swung her arm around Hanna's shoulders. "I've been gone for a long time, so I thought it might be good to bring a wing-woman."

Hanna laughed. "I'm a little insulted you just assumed I'd be free that night. It's a good thing I don't have any actual plans."

* * *

><p>Aria and Ezra made some sort of unspoken agreement to not push their luck, so Ezra didn't give Aria a ride back to Kenneth. Instead, Aria had to walk, but the weather was so nice that she didn't really mind. The weather was unseasonably warm for Rosewood. The sky was a clear blue and the sun shone brightly. The weather was boosting her good mood a little and she settled for a leisurely stroll. She arrived a good half hour later at Kenneth Hall than Ezra.<p>

Aria inserted her key in the door and opened it. She nearly bumped into Ezra, who was heading outside.

"Oh, hey," Ezra said.

"Hi."

"I'm going out with some friends tonight, but we can try and cook something tomorrow?"

"Actually I'm going out with someone tomorrow, so how about the day after that?" Aria suggested. She smiled at Ezra. Ezra stopped in his tracks next to the door. She was going out with someone? He had a good feeling about who it was.

"No, you're not," Ezra said. The words escaped his lips before he'd thought them through, and he sheepishly turned around to look at Aria.

Aria's eyebrows were raised. "Excuse me?"

Ezra had no right to stop her from going out with Noel Kahn, but what Mrs. Welch had told Ezra about Noel made him worry. And _could _he stop her? As a matter of fact, he could.

"First essay of the year," Ezra said. "Thousand words. Consider this an official heads-up."

Aria groaned loudly. "Seriously?"

"Sorry," Ezra gave an apologetic shrug, though he was not feeling sorry at all.

"Well, what's the essay supposed to be on? Maybe I can start working on it tonight."

"That wouldn't be fair. You'll find out along with everyone else when I assign it in class tomorrow," Ezra said. "Besides, whoever you're going out with will have to write it as well."

Aria seriously doubted this, because she remembered Hanna used to pay Spencer to write her essays. Mentioning this to Ezra didn't seem like such a good idea, though.

"Fine," Aria said.

"Fine," Ezra replied. And he left the apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Happy Easter! :) That was all.

**Disclaimer: **I wish.

* * *

><p>"In <em>Pride and Prejudice, <em>Jane Austen depicts the English country life during the Regency in a satirical manner. There was a social conduct and people behaved accordingly. Bodily experience of love was inappropriate, for example. Something as simple as blushing was considered a mild erection of the head," Ezra explained to the twenty high school students in front of him. His words evoked a couple snorts.

"Tomorrow I want to receive an essay from each and every one of you on the differences in behavior; the differences between now and then," Ezra continued and complaints erupted through the classroom. Ezra's unwavering gaze landed on Aria. "A minimum of thousand words."

Ezra's speech was perfectly timed, because the bell rang just when he was finished.

"Okay, I'll see you all tomorrow!" Ezra announced, clasping his hands together in conclusion. Aria was relieved when Ezra didn't ask her to stay after class again. She hurried out of the classroom with Spencer, whom she'd been sitting next to for the past hour, before he could change his mind.

"It's a truth universally acknowledged, that a teacher who assigns a thousand-word essay on the second day of school must be in want of hatred from his students," Spencer muttered in a dark voice and Aria snickered. Hanna and Emily were quick to catch up with them in the hallway. They weren't all that pleased with their English assignment, either.

"A thousand words?" Hanna exclaimed. "In one day? Does he think that we don't have lives?"

"I didn't peg him as the type who'd be giving us loads and loads of coursework," Spencer said.

"Well, it's one essay. Maybe he'll go a little easier on us for the rest of the school year," Emily said hopefully.

"I guess no pizza for us tonight," Aria mumbled to Hanna, just when Noel brushed by. He'd caught the end of their conversation.

"Another night, Montgomery!" Noel said, before he sauntered away. "Another night."

* * *

><p>"You know, if you want your students to like you, this really isn't the way to go," Aria said to Ezra later that day. They were both seated in the kitchen. Aria's laptop was perched on the table and she was halfway done with her essay. She had read the book often enough to be able to write down the most important things without a second thought. Ezra pointing out important aspects to her every five seconds was also a big help, although they'd engaged in three lengthy discussions as a result.<p>

Ezra - who was catching up on some paperwork, mostly bills - took up the larger part of the table. Tiny pieces of paper and bigger folders were sprawled out. He tried to focus on his own task, but he was distracted.

By now, Ezra had realized giving out this essay was a big no-no and it probably wouldn't, just like Aria was telling him at the moment, get his students to like him. He already regretted assigning the essay, anyway, which had been to keep Aria from going out with Noel in the first place. Not only should Ezra not care about who Aria went out on dates with, but this brilliant idea of his was also going to give him a whole pile of reading and grading to go through. Aria's date was most likely just going to be rescheduled. Perhaps they would even go out while he was reading essays, unintentionally to spite him. He should have just told her what Mrs. Welch had told him.

But the fact that they could reschedule the date was a minor detail Ezra had forgotten about in the spur of the moment whilst telling Aria she had to write an essay. And after he had told her he was going to assign them an essay, he couldn't not assign them an essay.

"I know," Ezra said. He heaved a sigh and rubbed his temples. "I don't even remember why I thought it would be such a good idea to make you guys write an essay today."

Aria chortled. "Not seeing the logic there either." She looked up from her laptop screen. "You're not the easy-going English teacher I thought you were going to be, Mr. Fitz."

"You thought I was going to be easy-going?"

"Sorta. Yeah." Aria shrugged. "But I don't mean that as a bad thing!"

Ezra laughed out loud at that, the deep laugh vibrating through the room. "Don't worry. I don't take offense in that." He thoughtfully cocked his head to the side. "Besides, being easy-going is good, right? People like easy-going teachers?"

"They do," Aria agreed, nodding. "But you're kind of going in the opposite direction at the moment."

"Right." Ezra nodded. "No more essays for a while."

"Right." Aria nodded and smiled, before she innocently batted her eyelashes at him. "And a cup of coffee would be great?"

"Sure," Ezra said with a chuckle. He might as well do something useful, because he momentarily seemed to have lost his ability to do his filing. He stood and walked to the coffee machine. He pressed the on button when there was a knock on the door.

"You expecting anybody?" Ezra asked Aria. Aria shook her head.

"Hm." Ezra shrugged and made his way to the door. He was smiling when he opened it. His smile soon faltered when he saw who was on the other side. Aria curiously turned around in her chair and tried to get a good look at the visitor, but Ezra blocked her view.

It was a girl. It was a girl Ezra had been trying to get over for nearly a year now. Her lips were pursed together tightly in her signature smile. Her dark tresses gleamed from the lights on the ceiling.

"Jackie."

"Ezra."

They both stared at each other for a moment, not saying anything. Jackie Molina had broken Ezra Fitz' heart when she declined his marriage proposal and they both knew it. She'd skipped town and they hadn't talked since.

Ezra had heard that Jackie had gotten a job at Hollis from a friend of a friend, so he knew she would be back in Rosewood. He, however, did not know she was going to show up on his doorstep.

"Can I come in?" Jackie asked, breaking the growing silence. Ezra stepped aside, not saying anything while Jackie managed to move past him. Ezra's knuckles turned white from his tight grip on the doorknob as he closed the door. He turned around and stared at Jackie some more.

She looked exactly like he remembered, yet something had changed about her. There was a confidence and a strange look in her eyes that had never been there before. Nevertheless, his memories had not done her justice; she was still beautiful. Jackie forced a smile at Ezra, showing off her perfect teeth.

"I got a job at Hollis."

"I know," Ezra said. "I heard."

"Oh."

More silence.

"Well, I just wanted to see how you were," Jackie said by way of an explanation. Ezra didn't say anything.

"So… how are you?"

"I'm good. Fine. Same old, same old," Ezra said bitterly, before he made himself take a deep, calming breath. He motioned to Jackie with his hand. "What about you?"

"I'm glad." Jackie nodded and smiled, either ignoring his tone of not noticing it. "I've been good, too." She paused. "I met someone," she hesitantly added.

Ezra swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew what he was obliged to say. "That's great! I'm happy for you."

Aria watched the two from her position at the kitchen table and it didn't take long before she caught on to the awkwardness. Jackie hadn't noticed her yet and Aria felt compelled to make her presence known. She cleared her throat and walked over to Ezra's side. Jackie's and Ezra's head whipped in her direction.

"Um, hi," Aria said. She nervously fumbled with the hem of her dress. "I'm Aria."

Jackie studied Aria, her eyes trailing the length of her. "Jackie," she finally said. She shook Aria's hand with disinterest, before her eyes went back to Ezra. "She lives with you on this floor?"

"Yes," Aria immediately replied, not really appreciating being ignored. Jackie's eyes focused on her once again.

Ezra glanced at Aria. He couldn't help but be impressed by her standing her ground under the withering stare of Jackie Molina; Aria definitely wasn't like any other girl her age. As soon as Ezra realized this, an idea popped into his head. He went with it without overanalyzing anything.

Ezra's hand shot around Aria's waist and he pulled her against his side. Aria nearly let out a yelp in surprise. Her body stiffened.

"She's my girlfriend."

Aria's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything. Aria awkwardly patted Ezra's hand resting on her hip, while she made herself relax against his contours. Aria and Jackie both stared at Ezra in surprise, but for very different reasons.

For good measure, Ezra looked down at Aria and gave her a brief peck on the mouth, his lips barely brushing hers. Jackie didn't take her eyes off them for one second and she narrowed her eyes at Aria.

The look that passed between Aria and Ezra afterwards was so powerful that Aria was surprised Jackie wasn't blown out of the room by it. She was pretty sure she was experiencing a mild erection of the head because of their feigned bodily experience of love. With effort, Aria averted her eyes from Ezra and turned to look at Jackie.

"Well, I'm glad you found someone as well," Jackie said. She left after that, mumbling something about a meeting with someone. Ezra released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding once she was out of the room, closing the door behind herself. Aria removed Ezra's arm from her waist.

Ezra didn't say anything as he walked to the kitchen table and sat back down. He carried on with his previous affairs, while Aria stayed frozen near the door. Her jaw had dropped and she gave Ezra an incredulous stare. Finally, Ezra looked up, feeling her eyes on him.

"What?" he asked.

"What do you mean what? You know what!" Aria hissed. "What the hell was that?"

"That was my ex-girlfriend dropping by for a surprise visit," Ezra stated. Aria let that sink in for a moment. She'd guessed as much.

"And why did you tell your ex-girlfriend that I was your current girlfriend?"

"I panicked, okay?" Ezra said. "We didn't really end things on good terms and I wanted it to look like I'd moved on." He took a deep breath. "Which, I guess, I haven't."

Aria observed Ezra for a while. She hesitantly asked her next question, ignoring the urge to touch her lips with her fingers. She could still feel the spot where his lips had touched hers. "And why did you kiss me?"

"Do you think she looked jealous?" Ezra asked Aria instead, looking up from his work. Aria's face crumpled with the recognition that's what he wanted Jackie to be and that's why he had done it. Ezra noticed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He wrote something on a piece of paper, before he looked back up. "But, you have to admit, it was barely a kiss."

"Your lips touched mine," Aria disagreed. Ezra stood, unwilling to participate anymore in this conversation.

"Believe me," he said, "if I had really kissed you, you'd feel like I had really kissed you. You wouldn't be able to forget."

And with that he left the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So next chapter Aria will be pissed. I can tell you that. Oh, and I'm working on chapter nine for Secrets Unraveled, so that one will be updated first. I think.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who left a review. I really appreciate them! :) So here's a new chapter! It took me forever to write this. I kept getting distracted by the internet, haha. But I hope you like it.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" isn't mine.

* * *

><p>Making Aria wonder what it was like to kiss him was never Ezra's intention, but that's exactly what happened. And what would it be like to be truly kissed by Ezra Fitz? Aria was ashamed to admit she was kind of curious about the answer to that question. She was startled to realize she just might be crushing on her English teacher.<p>

Which was bad. Very, very bad.

Aria finished her essay in her room. The following hour she spent on the phone, making a long-distance call with her family in Iceland. Next up was her laundry, which she did in the basement of Kenneth Hall. When Aria returned to her floor, the first thing she noticed was that the television was on. The second thing she noticed was that there were two figures sitting on the living room couch.

"Hey," Ezra said. He nodded at Aria by way of greeting.

"Ah, there she is! The female roommate!" Hardy exclaimed, grinning.

Aria nervously glanced at Ezra.

"Were you guys talking about me?"

"No," Ezra said.

"Yes," Hardy replied. Ezra elbowed Hardy in the side and Hardy coughed. "I mean no?"

Aria gave Ezra a look.

"Well, you may have come up," Ezra said, avoiding her searching gaze.

"Does he know about-"

"No."

"Right," Aria said, breathing a sigh of relief. She gave Hardy another nervous glance. He grinned at her, enjoying her discomfort. Could he see she was only seventeen years old? How much did he know about her?

"We brought you some Chinese food. I was just about to go and look for you," Ezra said, changing the subject. It was then that Aria noticed the smell of food, although she wasn't sure where it came from.

"Really? Thanks." Aria smiled, albeit a little uncomfortably. She was planning on chomping down on some cereal for dinner; this was a better option. "I'm just gonna put this away."

She quickly walked towards her room and placed the collapsible laundry basket her mom had gotten her on the bed. Seconds later, she reappeared again. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed herself a glass of water, after she duly noted the guys had already gotten themselves beers.

"So who are you exactly?" Aria asked Hardy once she'd sat down on the couch. Ezra and Hardy had cleared a spot for her in the middle. Aria took a sip of water.

"Hardy."

"Aria."

"I know," Hardy said, shaking her hand. "Ezra mentioned you'd be here when we picked up food for three." Hardy grabbed a plastic, white bag - which contained the food - from behind the couch and placed it on the coffee table. Aria noted three plates and utensils were already on it.

"So you're the one who's currently sleeping with Ezra?" Hardy asked.

Aria nearly choked on her drink.

"Hardy is my former roommate," Ezra explained. He gave an amused chuckle.

"Oh!" Aria blushed, catching on. She didn't know what else to say to this. She usually wasn't tongue-tied, but she usually also wasn't in this kind of situation. Sounds from an MTV show filled the background, while they uncapped containers and put food on their plates with large spoons. They started eating in silence.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm sensing a tension here," Hardy said after a moment. He was never much of a quiet guy; he liked to talk. He felt like the silence surrounding them was a little charged and he wasn't about to let something like that go unfixed.<p>

Aria shifted on the couch. "What tension? There's no tension."

Ezra glanced at Aria and watched as she returned her attention to the television. Her shoulders were tense and she jumped every time he or Hardy made a movement. This had to be awkward for her, Ezra realized. She probably didn't even want to be here, but felt like she was obligated to, to be polite.

"She's pissed at me," Ezra said to Hardy, while taking a big bite of steamed white rice.

Aria had channeled some of her anger while estimating how much laundry detergent to use and while trying to fold clothes in a neat stack, rather than creating a messy pile. She'd come to the conclusion that kissing his high school student to make his ex-girlfriend jealous was a pretty inappropriate action on Ezra's part. Brushing it off like nothing had happened was even worse. She deserved to be angry, even if Ezra hadn't realized this yet.

"With good reason!" Aria interfered. "Tell him what you did."

Ezra looked over his shoulder at Hardy and reluctantly said, "I told Jackie she was my girlfriend."

"You did?" Hardy laughed. Ezra didn't join in.

The subject was dropped.

* * *

><p>"So Jackie stopped by, huh?" Hardy said to Ezra a little while later. Ezra dragged his eyes away from the TV.<p>

Aria was in the bathroom. Hardy had brought two bottles of scotch and they were currently on the second one. Aria had originally declined the offer, but as the guys drank during dinner, she soon joined in; it wasn't like she'd never consumed alcohol before at parties and it was a great way to relieve some of the tension. In fact, Aria was pretty sure the awkwardness had disappeared due to the alcohol. But Aria was a tiny girl, and despite the fact that she'd been drinking on a full stomach, she noticed the effects pretty quickly. This also wasn't the first time she'd gone to the bathroom in the past hour.

"Are you alright?" Hardy asked carefully.

"I'm fine," Ezra said. Venom dripped his voice. "She's even better. Got herself a job at Hollis and a boyfriend."

"I'm sorry."

Ezra was silent for a moment.

"No, it's okay," he finally said. "She's moved on and so should I. Seeing her this afternoon made me realize that."

"Well, that's some roommate you got yourself," Hardy mentioned casually.

"Aria's not going to be my rebound."

"I think she likes you, man."

"What?" Ezra laughed. The laugh wasn't filled with humor, but with disbelief. "I'm pretty sure she hates my guts after this afternoon. Either that, or she just dislikes me."

"That's not what it looked like to me."

* * *

><p>Aria woke up the next day with a throbbing headache and a throat that felt rubbed raw. It took her a moment to realize where she was, but she slowly recognized the living room at Kenneth Hall. When she heard a low chuckle in her ear and became aware of a warm body pressed against her back, she nearly jumped out of her skin. An arm was draped over her waist and a leg rested on hers, her limbs entangled with whoever was behind her.<p>

No. Aria fiercely closed her eyes for a moment, before she opened them again. She craned her neck to see who was with her, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer. Ezra Fitz was breathing steadily down her neck, his face separated from hers by several inches, his breath releasing noticeably unpleasant odors.

When Ezra felt Aria stirring in his arms, his eyes suddenly snapped opened.

They stared at each other in absolute horror for a couple beats as he jolted awake. Soon enough, common sense kicked in and Aria jerked away. She stood and took several steps backwards.

"So…," Aria started to say, incredibly embarrassed, and not even sure what she _could_ say about this. She felt blood rush to her face. "Um…"

Ezra sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes in a sleepy daze. What had happened? He didn't remember. He tried to think back. Hardy had left around 10.30. He and Aria had watched a movie, while finishing that second bottle. After that… nothing. A complete blank.

Aria stared at Ezra's chest for a moment, exposed due to his unbuttoned blouse. She looked down at her own clothes and was relieved to see everything was exactly like she'd remembered it to be. Ezra's tie was on the coffee table. When she tried to think back to last night, her mind fogged up.

"You don't think we…," Aria asked hesitantly.

"I don't think we did," Ezra said, interrupting her. He didn't even want to go there. "What time is it?"

Aria glanced at the clock located in the kitchen and winced. "Ten AM."

"Crap. We're late." Ezra stood, his stiff muscles screaming in protest. "We can't both show up in the same clothes we wore yesterday. Let's just change and head over to school. I'll write you a late pass."

Aria didn't argue with him. She showered, got dressed and tried to cover up any traces of a hangover as best as she could. After she was satisfied with the result and convinced she wouldn't get in trouble for showing up at school in her current state, she grabbed her keys and her bag. Ezra wasn't there yet when she came into the living room; she could hear his shower running.

"I'm leaving," she called out. She waited for a reply, but it didn't come. She needed that pass or she was going to get a detention. Given the circumstances, she wouldn't mind not having to interact with Ezra, though; a detention was worth it.

As Aria rushed down the staircase for the third time this week, she was starting to see a pattern. This was the third day she was living by herself and she'd already gotten tardy. Twenty minutes later, Aria walked into the class she was supposed to be in. She was nearly in time for third period and she received the detention she had been expecting.

"Whoa! What happened to you?"

Aria didn't say anything, plopping down in the seat next to Spencer without saying a word. She placed her cheek on the table.

"Are you… Are you alright?" Spencer asked. "You don't look so good."

"I don't feel so good either," Aria mumbled. She stayed that way for a moment, before she lifted her head and looked at Spencer. "Did I miss much?"

"Not really. Just second period. Mr. Fitz is sick or something, so we just hung out in the cafeteria." She sighed. "I can't believe I busted my ass all night for that essay of his and he didn't even show."

"Right," Aria mumbled. "The essay."

Spencer frowned at Aria. She looked a little worried. "Maybe you should go home."

"I'm on my bike. I think I'd rather lay here." Aria placed her head on the table again, assuming her earlier position.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **If anyone has an idea as to what should happen next, I'd really like to hear it.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Hi! I really liked some of the ideas people mentioned. I might use some soon. :) About the essay... Aria did write it. But Ezra didn't show up for their English class, so nobody turned it in yet. They will just have to turn it in the next day, I guess. ;) Please review.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" isn't mine. I got most of the questions in this chapter from the internet. I picked them at random, so some of them are a little strange.

* * *

><p>Aria managed to get through the day, with some effort and with plenty of coffee during lunch break. Her friends didn't really understand why Aria had come to school at all, but after a while they stopped bugging her. Truth was Aria hadn't even considered staying home.<p>

When the last bell rang and everyone got to go home, Aria was fortunate enough to have to stay an additional hour. When she reached the detention classroom, the teacher supervising that day was already there, cleaning the school board.

It was Ezra. Besides him, the classroom was empty. Aria cleared her throat.

"Hey," she said. She slipped her detention slip on the teacher's desk and she sat down in a chair.

"Hey," Ezra replied automatically, before Aria's voice truly registered. He turned around to look at her. "You got a detention?"

"Well, I didn't get that late pass," Aria said and she shrugged. "It's alright. You were still in the shower." She rummaged through her bag, before she put it on the floor. "But why are you supervising detention today? I thought Mr. Webber usually did it."

"He does, but the principal asked me to do it today. He was not too pleased with me," Ezra said. "And why wouldn't he be? This is the third day I'm working here and I already showed up late without notice."

Aria laughed. "So they punished you with detention?"

Ezra chuckled. "I guess they did. In a way."

"Well, that's only fair."

"Mm," Ezra murmured, while he sat down in the chair behind the desk. Aria glanced around the room.

"Are we going to be the only ones here?"

"I think so."

They sat in silence for a moment, staring at the other person.

"Can't we just go home?" Aria asked. "It seems kind of pointless to just sit here for an hour."

"I don't think that's a good idea. If Mr. Tamborelli drops by and sees I'm not here, I'll probably get in some real trouble. Besides, it's only one hour. That's not so bad."

"It's a waste of time," Aria countered.

"We can talk?" Ezra suggested. "You can ask me questions. Broadcast your knowledge on nuclear bombs. Recite lyrics. Whatever you've got."

Aria unconsciously smiled. "Fine," she said. "I'll ask you a question, then you ask me one."

"Fine," Ezra replied. He waited while Aria thought of a question to ask. She finally decided on a safe one.

"A cat person or a dog person?"

"Dog person. I had one when I was a little kid." Ezra smiled at her ridiculous question. He shifted into a more comfortable position in his chair and tried to think of an interesting question to ask her.

"Have you ever been in a fist fight?" he finally asked. Aria raised her eyebrows and Ezra just gave her a daring look.

"Alright. Can't say that I have. I once broke one up, though. Does that count?"

"Really?" Ezra asked. He couldn't envision the tiny brunette doing that. Aria nodded. "Nice. I'm impressed."

"Thanks. Are you close to your family?"

"Yes. I don't see them very often, but I try to call as much as I can," Ezra answered. It took him another moment to conjure up a new question.

"Has a book ever changed your life?"

"Yes. _Twilight _was a life-changing experience," Aria replied with a snort.

"You read it?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Aria said. "I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would, though. I can see why people would like it."

"Should I read it?"

Aria laughed. "I dare you. You wouldn't get past the first fifty pages."

"If you'd do my laundry for a week, I just might."

"You're on. But otherwise you'll do mine. I give you two days," Aria said without thinking. She quickly pursed her lips together. What was she doing? She didn't want him to do her laundry.

"Deal. Next question."

Aria had one ready. "If you could be anybody else, who would you be?"

"That's a good one," Ezra mumbled. "Can it be a fictional person?"

"Sure." Aria shrugged and Ezra considered his options. He thoughtfully cocked his head to the side.

"Ian McKellen in _Lord of the Rings_," he finally said.

Aria was surprised. "Why?"

"I really hope to someday have a gravelly voice like him and be a wizard, don't you?" Ezra asked. "Plus he's a knight. Yes, I'm gonna say McKellen on this one."

Aria laughed. "Fair enough. Your turn."

Ezra looked up at the ceiling. What to ask? He lowered his eyes again and noticed a book on the desk. A world map was drawn on the cover.

"What's the capital of Antarctica?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Nice try. There isn't one."

Ezra laughed. "Oh, wow. You actually knew that."

* * *

><p>"Do you like me?" Ezra asked Aria twenty minutes into their questions game. He and Aria were finally getting comfortable enough to turn to some more serious questions.<p>

Aria was gobsmacked for a moment. "Why?" she finally asked, on her guard.

"It just seems like you don't," Ezra said carefully.

"I like you," Aria said with a shrug. "I think you're a nice guy. Why would you think that I didn't?"

"You just seem really tense when you're around me," Ezra replied. "I mean, when we're talking it doesn't seem that way, but other times…"

Aria sighed and looked down at her hands. "I guess I'm just not really comfortable getting close with my English teacher." She looked up. "Call me crazy, but I don't usually wake up next to my teachers in the morning."

Ezra studied Aria. "Maybe we should talk about it then."

"What's there to talk about?" Aria asked, meeting Ezra's eyes.

"Well, maybe not. But for one, I'd like us to be friends," Ezra said. There was hardly anything they could do to change their situation. Not until he had enough money to find his own place, at least. He really wanted to get along with Aria in the meantime. "If you're okay with that, that is."

"Friends," Aria said slowly, testing out the word.

"Yeah."

"I think I'd like that."

"Good." Ezra smiled. "So we're friends."

"We're friends," Aria agreed.

"And it's your turn."

"Right," Aria said. "Why did you and Jackie break up?" Aria opened her mouth and closed it again, before she shook her head. "I'm sorry. Was that too personal?"

Ezra gave her a wistful smile. "It's alright. It's not that big a secret."

"It seemed like you still liked her," Aria said hesitantly.

"We dated on and off for about two years. I was in love with her. I thought she was in love with me. I proposed and she declined my offer. We didn't talk after that. Until yesterday."

"I'm sorry," Aria said. "When did you propose?"

"About a year ago," Ezra answered, before he smiled. "But it's my turn."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Ezra chuckled. "You can stop apologizing. So did you leave anyone behind in Iceland?"

"You mean a guy?" Aria asked. Ezra nodded. "I did. His name was Tyler. We dated for six months. It wasn't that serious, though."

"I see. Why did you return to Rosewood?"

It was a simple question. It was a question Aria could have expected, but she didn't. Ezra looked at her expectantly. By now, they were both seated across from each other at the teacher's desk, their hands on the table, leaning forward in their chairs.

Aria hesitated a moment before answering.

"I guess I missed my old life, my old friends," she said. It wasn't so much a lie as it was a half-truth. "Is it my turn?"

"Not after you asked me that question it's not," Ezra said. "Are you glad you returned?"

"Not sure yet," Aria said. She looked out of the window for a moment, before she met Ezra's eyes. "I'll tell you once I have an answer."

* * *

><p>Aria gave Ezra a devious smile. "What's your craziest drunk story?"<p>

"I don't really get drunk," Ezra said.

"But yesterday…"

"Was an exception," Ezra finished. "I got carried away."

Aria raised her eyebrows. "Was yesterday your first time? Getting drunk, I mean."

"It was. It's a shame I don't remember anything of it."

"Neither do I."

They grinned at each other, just when the bell rang for the last time that day. Aria was startled to realize the hour was already over. She was even more startled to realize that she had been having fun. Ezra glanced at his watch.

"We should hurry. It's already four o'clock."

"Hurry for what?" Aria frowned in confusion, while she stood, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

"To the grocery store. It closes at five. I checked this morning and our fridge is practically empty."

"Oh, I'll do it!" Aria said quickly. She realized she had lived on Ezra's food for the past two days, so she was grateful for the opportunity to return the favor and pay for his food this time. Her parents had given her money for it and it felt like a waste not to use it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll see what I can squeeze on my bike."

"You can borrow my car?" Ezra offered.

"How would you get home?"

"I'll just take your bike."

"Okay," Aria said hesitantly.

They walked out of the school building together and exchanged keys. Aria slowly made her way to Ezra's car; the only one left in the otherwise deserted parking lot. She smoothly pulled out of the lot, waving at Ezra when she drove past him. There were two grocery stores in Rosewood and she headed straight for the biggest one.

Aria parked the car and entered the supermarket. Bright, fluorescent lights lit the spacious building and granted Aria the ability to study the aisles filled with delicious goodies. Although the store was about to close, it was still very busy - people were swarming around her, hurriedly doing their last-minute shopping for tonight. Aria's hand, previously reaching over to grab a bag of M&Ms, froze in the air mid-way when a hand suddenly shot out and snatched the last one away right in front of her.

"Hey! That's mi…," Aria started to say. She turned around, annoyed. Her hazel eyes widened when she met familiar blue ones. Noel Kahn gave her a devilish grin.

"Noel," Aria said, a little breathless. He nodded at her in acknowledgement.

"I was wondering where the entire store's food supply went," Noel said. He eyed the shopping cart in Aria's hand suspiciously. "Now I know."

"A girl's gotta eat!" Aria said, grinning up at him. "And you just stole my M&Ms."

"I don't think they'll fit in your shopping cart," Noel said.

"I think you just might be right," Aria said, worriedly studying her cart for a minute. She had no idea what Ezra liked, so she'd opted for buying something of everything; salty, sweet, bitter… As a result, her shopping cart was so full, she was afraid all the products were going to topple over the edges any minute now.

"I was just about to head for registry," Noel said. "Do you want me to get that for you?" He motioned with his hand to the shopping cart. Aria assumed he meant carrying it for her, not paying. She shook her head.

"No, that's alright. I've got it," she said. "But I should probably get out of here, too."

They walked down the aisle together, their shoulders brushing against each other. There were no lines, so Aria didn't have to wait for her turn at the registry. The girl behind it grimaced when she saw the amount of products Aria had decided on. Aria gave her a polite smile, before she turned to Noel, who was right behind her in line.

"Do you have any plans this weekend?" he asked. "I got invites to a party. We could go together?"

Aria contemplated her response for a moment. She finally decided not to reject him again, for the odd chance he would otherwise get the idea she wasn't interested. Because she was. She always had been. She just never had the chance to try to pursue anything with Noel before Iceland.

"Sounds like fun," she said.

* * *

><p>"Nice car," Noel commented. Aria had accepted Noel's second offer to carry her groceries and Noel was currently admiring Ezra's vehicle.<p>

"Thanks. It isn't mine, though. I borrowed it from a friend."

"I like your friend already," Noel said. He placed a plastic bag with the grocery store's logo on it on Aria's passenger's side seat and Aria thanked him.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, before he headed to his own car. Aria gave him the same wave she'd given Ezra.

"Yes," Aria whispered softly to herself once he was out of hearshot. "Yes, you will."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Hello. Hallo. Guten Tag. Bonjour. Hola.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" isn't mine.

* * *

><p>Deafening sounds came over Aria's lips as she screamed herself awake. Images - frightening images, terrifying images - flashed before her eyes. A pitch-black darkness surrounded Aria, while a quiet sob escaped her throat. Tears blotched her cheeks, her breathing shallow.<p>

It didn't take long before Ezra came barging into Aria's room, the door slamming into the wall behind it as he did so. His eyes were alert and the noise of his sudden arrival revealed his presence. When Ezra didn't see any signs of immediate danger, he relaxed a little. He turned to squint at Aria in the dark.

"Aria?"

A whimper was the answer.

Ezra flipped the light switch and he used his hand to block out some of the light as his eyes adjusted to it. He recognized the room he'd been in two days ago. Everything was exactly like he'd left it. Aria's boxes were still unpacked, the books on her desk untouched. The only addition was a pile, consisting out of the clothes Aria had worn earlier that day. Or yesterday. Aria's alarm clock informed Ezra that it was 3.13 AM.

"What happened?" Ezra asked, noticing the tears streaming down Aria's cheeks. Aria didn't bother to try to hide herself from him; he'd already seen her face. Ezra carefully walked over to Aria's side and sat down on the edge of her bed. Aria let him.

She was silent for a long moment, not answering his question. She simply sat on her bed and stared at the empty space in front of her, lost in her own thoughts. Back in Iceland, Aria had constantly been haunted by nightmares. Every night it was another one, but they always involved Alison and they always ended the same; badly. Aria didn't know if it was the change of scenery or her jetlag, but she hadn't been bothered by these nightmares since she'd gotten back to Rosewood. Tonight was the end of that blissful streak.

Ezra tentatively lifted his hand, but he stopped himself just in time from comforting her. His hand dropped to his side again.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" Aria finally whispered.

"You did. You screamed rather loud," Ezra said softly. He chuckled to show her that he didn't really mind. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It was just a bad dream," Aria replied. She forced a smile and wiped her tears away, while trying to hide her embarrassment. She didn't really want anyone to see her in this state and she was pretty sure she didn't look particularly charming right now.

"Okay," Ezra said hesitantly. "Well, I'm going to get some more sleep. Are you gonna be fine?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright. Sorry again for waking you up."

"I forgive you," Ezra said, grinning at Aria. He got up and made his way to the door. He switched the lights off. His hand was on the doorknob, when Aria's voice stopped him.

"Ezra?"

He looked over his shoulder, but he only saw vague black shapes. "Yeah?"

"Sweet dreams," Aria said softly. Ezra involuntarily smiled.

"Sweet dreams, Aria."

* * *

><p>"Did you manage to get some sleep?" Ezra asked Aria the following morning. Aria was a little uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her. He looked so worried, when she had, in fact, only had a bad dream.<p>

She didn't mind him volunteering to make her a cup of coffee, though.

"Yeah, I did," Aria answered honestly. She never had trouble falling back to sleep after her nightmares, which was probably the only reason how she managed not to get sleep deprived. "You?"

"The minute I returned to my bed, I was out," Ezra replied.

Thursday had passed quickly and uneventfully after that. Fortunately, there had been no repetition of Wednesday night on Thursday and Aria got an uninterrupted night of sleep. Friday night, Aria was reading on the living room couch, which had already become her favorite place to sit. She was completely engulfed in a book while she leaned on the comfy cushions.

Aria didn't notice Ezra when he walked into the room. When he lifted her feet and sat down next to her, however, she looked up. She watched as he made himself comfortable and placed her feet in his lap. She was a little shocked he felt comfortable enough to do so, but she didn't comment on it, as she didn't really mind.

"So I've been thinking about this bet…," Ezra started.

Aria smiled. "Yes? Did I win already? Are you giving up?" She glanced at the clock, before she looked back down at her book. "It's almost midnight. Which leaves you with three more hours to finish reading those pages."

"But I don't even have a copy of the book yet. So technically speaking, that isn't really fair," Ezra argued.

"I'm not going to help you win by giving you more time, if that's what you're getting at," Aria said, without lifting her eyes.

"I know," Ezra said. "But I'm getting the book now. So once I got it, I'll have two days."

"How's that not me giving you extra time?"

"You said you gave me two days to read fifty pages. That means my time starts when I read the first word," Ezra said. Aria met his eyes, unable to focus on the words on _her_ pages while he was talking to her. He was watching her expectantly, waiting for a reply.

"Your time started when the clock struck midnight. After we made the bet on Wednesday."

"Midnight? That makes no sense."

"Yes, it does," Aria said. "All bets start at midnight."

"What kind of rule is that?" Ezra asked. "That's ridiculous."

"It's not," Aria said defensively.

"It kind of is. But fine," Ezra declared. "Midnight. I'll still win, you know. I'm a very fast reader."

"You don't even have a copy yet."

"Like I said, I'm getting one right now."

"Where are you planning on finding a copy of _Twilight _at nine o'clock on a Friday night?" Aria asked skeptically. She wondered if any of Ezra's lady friends owned the book. Then she wondered if any of Ezra's friends were home, seeing as how most people were out at this time of the week.

"The library?" Ezra offered, like it was the most obvious solution there was. Which it would be, if it weren't nine o'clock in the evening.

"The library closes at five."

"The Hollis College library closes at midnight."

Aria's eyes widened. "Seriously? You're going there right now?"

"Yeah." Ezra took in her eager expression. "You're welcome to tag along, if you'd like."

* * *

><p>The Hollis College library was available for all college students, former and current. The building dated back from the 1800s and, despite the fact that it had been renovated, it still had that ancient air about it. A musty smell filled the room, the ceilings high. Rows and rows of books - fiction and non-fiction - took up the space. Mahogany tables were in the center with chairs surrounding it, available for reading or studying. A main path went all the way to the back of the giant room and for each section there was a different row of bookcases.<p>

Aria was blown away by the amount of books; it was a dream come true. She couldn't believe this library had been in Rosewood all along and she didn't even know about it. Ezra watched silently as Aria studied the room in awe. This library was kind of like his sanctuary, but he remembered the first time he'd come here. He was a little amused to see Aria react in the exact same way as he first had. They were still standing in front of the entrance and Aria had stopped walking; she didn't know where to start.

"Overwhelming, isn't?"

"Very," Aria breathed. Ezra chuckled.

"Then let's start looking, shall we?" Ezra suggested. "I haven't got all day."

This snapped Aria out of her daze and she nodded. Ezra started walking and she followed close behind. He headed straight for the sign with the "M" on it and turned around a corner; walking along the books. Aria trailed behind, nearly bumping into Ezra when he suddenly stopped walking. Ezra started browsing for the book he was looking for.

"I will take you here sometime when I'm not on a schedule," Ezra said conversationally, his eyes moving over the titles.

"That'd be great," Aria said, trying to somewhat contain her enthusiasm. "Actually, do you mind if I look around for a little bit?"

"Sure. Go ahead," Ezra said with a shrug.

"Okay. I'll find you in a minute," Aria managed to say, before she practically bounced back to the main path and headed down another book aisle. She let her fingers brush over the spines of the books as she walked, enjoying the feeling of them beneath her fingertips.

It felt like only minutes had passed when she felt a presence behind her.

"You're all done?" Aria asked. She turned around and her eyes widened a little when she found Ezra a lot closer to her than she'd expected him to be. Ezra was five feet, and eleven and a half inches. Six feet on a good day. With a breeze. Aria was five feet and two inches. She had been when she was fourteen and she hadn't grown since. Aria felt really small as he loomed over her and she instinctively took a step backwards, awkwardly bumping into the bookcase behind her.

"Yup," Ezra said. He held up a black book with a bright red apple on the cover. He stared into her big, hazel eyes for a moment, admiring the color, before he cleared his throat and uncomfortably tried to find another spot to fixate on. Aria was eyelevel with Ezra's mouth and she found herself staring at his lips. With him so close, Aria couldn't help but think about what it would be like to kiss him again. _If I had really kissed you, you'd feel like I had really kissed you._

Ezra leaned in even closer and for a second Aria thought he actually _was_ going to kiss her. But instead, his hand shot out over her shoulder and he grabbed a book. He read the back cover, before he placed it back with disinterest. His hand brushed against Aria's ear, making her shiver.

"So you're ready to go? I already checked out with my ID card."

"Yeah," Aria said. She quickly distanced herself from him and headed back to the main path with Ezra following her. They walked to the entrance, when Ezra saw the last person he ever expected to see at the library. He did a double take, but finally decided his eyes weren't pulling tricks on him.

"What the hell are you doing at the library?"

"I know. I was surprised too," Hardy said. He was blocking the main path. "She made me come." Hardy took a step to the side and revealed another person behind his back. It was the brunette Ezra had met on Monday at Hardy's apartment.

This time it was Aria who did a double take as she recognized the girl and the girl recognized her. Her stomach dropped.

"Well, that explains it," Aria finally said, mustering a smile. She felt like grimacing.

"Aria," the brunette exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Aria shifted uncomfortably as she tried to conjure up a decent and believable lie. She was a terrible liar, however, and couldn't come up with one. Ezra came to her rescue by telling the truth.

"She's here with me," Ezra said quickly. "We were just getting some books." He looked at the one book in his hand. "Or _a_ book, I guess."

"Oh, I don't mean _here_ here," the girl said, waving her hands at Ezra. She turned towards Aria. "I meant in Rosewood. Weren't you living in Iceland?"

"I was," Aria said, nodding. "For two years. I got back at the beginning of the school year."

"I had no idea."

"Yup. It's been real good to be back so far," Aria said. "But what about you? I thought you had a place in the city?"

"I do, but right now I'm staying with my boyfriend." The brunette smiled up at Hardy, linking her fingers through his. So far Hardy and Ezra had silently watched their interaction, but Hardy decided to mingle in the conversation. Hardy glanced at his girlfriend and then at Aria.

"So you two know each other?" he asked for clarification.

"We do," Aria said.

"She goes to high school with my sister," Hardy's girlfriend said. Aria's stomach dropped further, hitting rock bottom. Color drained from Ezra's face, Aria's lips parted, and Hardy's eyes widened. Hardy turned to look at Ezra and then at Aria.

"High school," he repeated. Aria didn't know what to say. Fortunately, Melissa Hastings did.

"Yes. Senior year, right?"

"Right," Aria responded meekly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay. So... my name is Melissa. Not a lot of people call me Lissa, but some do. :) Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Hello. Hej. God dag. Hei. :) So I've gotten over a hundred reviews... Thank you so much! :)

**Disclaimer: **Yeah. Same as usual.

* * *

><p>"<em>Yes. Senior year, right?"<em>

"_Right," Aria responded meekly._

Ezra felt Hardy's eyes on him. Hardy didn't say anything, but the disapproving message came through loud and clear. The set of Hardy's mouth had hardened. He didn't look disgusted exactly, but he definitely wasn't very pleased with the situation Ezra had gotten himself into either.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Hardy finally asked Ezra. He gestured to a dark corner. It was far away enough to talk without Aria and Melissa overhearing them, yet it was close enough to still see the girls. Ezra wasn't looking forward to Hardy yelling at him in private, though.

"You know, I would love to stay and chat, but we really have to get going," Ezra said, gently pulling Aria along with him by the arm. "Don't we, Aria?"

Aria quickly snapped to attention.

"What ar—Right," she stuttered, furiously nodding her head. Aria barely had time to wave, before Ezra dragged her with him. Ezra was afraid for a moment that Hardy was going to insist he should come with them, but it didn't happen. Instead, he and Melissa stared after them as they made their way to the exit.

Aria and Ezra didn't talk until they were seated in Ezra's sleek, silver car. Ezra tightly held on to the steering wheel for a moment, before he made himself take a deep, calming breath. He turned the key in the ignition, bringing the engine alive. He looked at Aria, and he then shifted into first gear and pulled out of the parking spot.

"So who is Lissa's sister exactly?" Ezra asked, his voice breaking the silence.

"Her full name is Melissa Hastings."

"Hastings?" Ezra repeated. "As in, Spencer Hastings?"

"That'd be the one," Aria replied. "You don't think Melissa is going to tell Spencer, do you?"

"I don't think Hardy is going to tell _Melissa_," Ezra said, praying this was true. "At least not until he has talked to me."

Ezra clenched his teeth together. This was not good. He and Aria hadn't even been living together for a full week, yet someone had already discovered the illegal mess they were living in. Ezra wasn't very happy with Hardy finding out. Ezra had been friends with Hardy for a long time now and he knew Hardy was going to show up at Kenneth Hall sooner rather than later.

"He'll probably drop by later tonight," Ezra continued. "Maybe I should talk to him alone and try to calm him down."

"You don't think I should be there?" Aria asked him. She wasn't the kind of girl who liked to avoid confrontations; she always thought it was best to get things right out of the way. This made her wonder if her leaving Kenneth Hall tonight was really the right thing to do.

"If you want to, you should," Ezra said, glancing at Aria. "Be there, I mean. But Hardy probably won't be so friendly to you this time. You might want to stay with a friend for the night."

Aria considered her options for a moment. Finally, she sighed.

"Fine," she said, giving in. "Let me just text a few people to see if they're busy tonight." Aria grabbed her phone, which she'd somehow managed to squeeze into the pocket of her low-cut jeans. She quickly sent a text to Emily, Hanna and Spencer. She considered sending one to Maya as well, but finally decided against it; Aria liked the girl, but she felt like their friendship had to develop some more before she'd feel comfortable enough spending the night at Maya's house. When Aria was done, she held her phone in the palm of her hand and turned to Ezra.

"So what are you going to tell Hardy?"

"The truth," Ezra said. "What else is there to tell?"

Aria was quiet for a couple beats.

"I'm sorry," she eventually said. She shook her head, focusing on the road through the windshield.

"You're sorry?" Ezra had to keep himself from fully turning to look at Aria, which would be a dangerous thing to do while he was driving. "Sorry for what?"

"I shouldn't have come with you tonight. It was a bad idea to go somewhere together besides school."

"Aria, it's not your fault," Ezra reasoned. "Besides, it was my brilliant idea for you to come with me, remember?"

"I remember," Aria said softly.

They both fell silent after that. Within a minute, Ezra reached the parking lot behind Kenneth Hall and he parked the car. The Hollis campus ground wasn't very big and, despite the fact that the library was all the way across campus, it wasn't more than a two-minute car ride.

Aria and Ezra both got out of the vehicle and Ezra handed Aria the car keys, his fingers brushing against her skin as he did so. Aria looked at her hand with the keys in it for a minute, before she met Ezra's eyes.

"Why are you giving me these?"

"Your friends can't pick you up here," Ezra said. "And I know it's Rosewood, but riding your bike somewhere at this hour doesn't sound like a very good idea to me either. Even if it is a small town like this."

"Thank you," Aria said slowly. She didn't know what else to say. She had been planning on taking her bike.

"Don't worry about it."

They entered Kenneth Hall and climbed the staircases together. When they reached their floor, Aria went into her bedroom to get the stuff she needed if she was spending the night elsewhere, while Ezra went into the kitchen to look for food Hardy liked. If there was one way to calm Hardy down, it was with food. They were both relieved to see Lucian wasn't there.

Five minutes later, Aria appeared in the common area. She had a bag in her hand, which she had tried to down-size as much as she possibly could. Emily and Hanna had informed Aria they both had plans involving their significant others while she was packing. Staying with Spencer for the night, it was.

"I'm heading out," Aria told Ezra. And she did.

* * *

><p>Ezra had to wait for two hours, but then there was finally a knock. There was no peephole, but Ezra didn't need one to know who was on the other side of the door. He opened the barricade and Hardy stormed into his apartment.<p>

"A _high school_ student!" he immediately exclaimed. He turned to face Ezra, whilst standing in the middle of the apartment. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I didn't know she was in high school when I met her," Ezra said. He closed the door, telling himself to stay calm. His grip on the doorknob indicated that he was anything but.

"And that makes it okay?"

"Of course not," Ezra said. "But it's not my fault that we've been assigned to the same floor, either."

"I can't believe I gave alcohol to a minor. I can't believe I told you to fool around with her," Hardy said, shaking his head. His hand went to his hair in a frustrated manner and he carefully asked Ezra his next question. "You guys didn't hook up, did you?"

"I don't think we did," Ezra replied hesitantly, avoiding Hardy's searching eyes. Hardy raised his eyebrows.

"You _think _you didn't or you _know _you didn't?"

"It doesn't matter," Ezra said.

"I can guarantee you, it does," Hardy argued in disagreement.

"_If _we did, we both don't remember," Ezra said. He still only got a fuzzy feeling when he thought back to that night and as far as he knew, Aria didn't know what had happened either. Hardy gave Ezra a doubtful look and Ezra felt the need to explain. "We fell asleep on the couch together after you left on Tuesday. I don't know what happened before we fell asleep. Neither does she."

Hardy's jaw dropped.

"Fuck, Ezra! Don't you realize how much trouble you could get in?"

"It crossed my mind. Yeah," Ezra remarked.

"I'm serious!" Hardy said. "Who do you think they're going to hold responsible if people find out about this? I'm guessing not the girl who's still in high school. _You're_ supposed to be the adult here, Ezra."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Ezra exclaimed. "I can't afford to live somewhere else and neither can she, for that matter. That's why we're living here together in the first place!"

Hardy and Ezra glared at each other for a long, tense moment.

"There's an apartment available in my building," Hardy finally said. "Tomorrow you're going to take a look at it."

"I can't afford it," Ezra said, shaking his head.

"Yes, you can. It's apartment 3A," Hardy said. "My parents can pay the part you can't cover."

"Hardy, I can't let your parents pay for my apartment."

"Yes, you can," Hardy disagreed again. "Look, money isn't an issue for them. I doubt they'll even notice a couple hundred dollars will disappear every month. And if they do notice, I doubt they won't agree that it is money well spent."

"That's very generous, Hardy. But I can't accept it."

"You can."

"Stop saying that I can!"

"I'll report you if you don't at least take a look."

"I can't d—Wait. You'll what?" Color drained from Ezra's face.

"You heard me," Hardy said. "I'm sure the administration office would love to know you're not a student here."

"You wouldn't do that," Ezra said.

"Friends look out for each other," Hardy said. "And that's exactly what I'm doing."

* * *

><p>Spencer's room was well-groomed, organized and neat; perfect, like Spencer. Aria was lying flat-out on her stomach, her feet dangling in the air, flipping through one of the very few magazines Spencer owned. Spencer had had to finish writing an essay for one of her many AP classes, but now her attention was focused on Aria.<p>

"Melissa stopped by for a brief visit earlier tonight…," Spencer started. Aria tensed up as Spencer's words piqued her interest. She shifted on Spencer's bed into another position. She looked up from an interview with Jennifer Lawrence and looked in Spencer's direction. Spencer was sitting in her desk chair, nervously picking at her fingernails.

"Oh. She did?" Aria feigned casual interest, while her heart started beating a little faster in her chest.

"Yes. Very briefly," Spencer said. "Not more than two minutes."

"How is she?" Aria asked Spencer, because it was the polite and expected thing to ask. And maybe she did it a little because she was afraid she was going to say something she shouldn't if she wasn't careful. Aria pursed her lips tightly together.

"She's good," Spencer said, nodding and smiling. "Actually, she mentioned you."

Aria swallowed. "Really?"

"She said she saw you earlier this night. At the library. You didn't see her?"

"I didn't see anyone I know," Aria said, perhaps a little too quickly. How much had Melissa told Spencer? Could Spencer see she was lying? Aria couldn't tell by Spencer's reaction. Spencer and Aria examined each other for a moment.

"Aria, what were you doing at the college library?" Spencer finally asked her.

Aria opened her mouth and closed it again. "What exactly did Melissa tell you?"

"She said she saw you at the college library. With a really cute guy," Spencer said.

"Oh."

"So who was he?"

"My roommate," Aria said honestly. She fought the urge to clamp her hand over her mouth. She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to tell Spencer the truth, but she did. Ezra was probably talking to Hardy about all of this and she needed someone to talk to as well. Spencer didn't need to know the roommate was Ezra, though.

"What?" Spencer frowned.

"He's my roommate. I'm living with him."

"I don't understand. Were you there with Mike?"

"No. He's still in Iceland. With my parents," Aria said.

"Iceland," Spencer echoed. She gave Aria a strange look.

"I wanted to move back to Rosewood; my parents didn't. So I moved here by myself," Aria said.

Spencer's eyes widened. "So you ran away?"

"What? No!" Aria said. She took a deep breath. "My dad got me a room at one of the Hollis dormitories."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **They will kiss real soon, I promise! ;) Please reivew!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter! :) I skipped over a little bit of time, but Aria and Spencer will talk about Aria's living situation soon.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" isn't mine.

* * *

><p>Saturday night, Ezra lazily leaned against the doorpost of Aria's bedroom in Kenneth Hall, and he warily glanced around the room. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when his eyes landed on Aria. She was standing in front of a full-length mirror, swaying to the loud beat of the music her phone was blasting out. Oblivious to Ezra's presence, she hummed to herself as she judged the outfit she had orchestrated.<p>

"Those are quite the moves you've got there," Ezra duly noted when a faster song filled the room, and Aria matched the pace of her moving hips accordingly.

Aria spun around quickly. Blood rushed to her face and Aria smoothed her hair with her hand, absolutely horrified when she saw the amusement in Ezra's eyes. She was embarrassed she'd been so distracted that she had missed his presence completely. Her reaction only amused Ezra further.

"Oh God," Aria mumbled.

"Now don't stop on my account," Ezra said, shooting Aria a devious grin. Aria was suddenly very interested in the laminated floor beneath her feet. A silence stretched the room and Aria didn't know how to fill it.

"I was just…," Aria said when she looked up, grasping for words to finish that sentence.

"Dancing?" Ezra offered. He laughed when he saw the stricken expression on Aria's face. "Yeah, I noticed."

"I was getting dressed," Aria said, stressing the last word of her sentence. She was wearing a Nanette Lepore Paisley dress and her best heels for her date with Noel. Aria wasn't sure what kind of party Noel was bringing her to, but this dress could suffice as casual as well as a little more dressed up. Aria hadn't really bothered to style her hair since she'd gotten back to Rosewood—mostly because she hadn't had the time—but smooth curls now framed her face. A light gloss covered her lips and the color she'd used complemented her hazel eyes.

"Well, you look beautiful," Ezra said genuinely. His words brought a smile to Aria's lips and made a pleasant warmth spread through her body. She was grateful that her cheeks couldn't turn an even darker shade of crimson than they already were.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

To distract herself, Aria crossed the room and crouched beside her suitcase, looking for the container that held her jewelry. In the meantime, she peeked at Ezra over her shoulder in what she hoped to be a casual manner. "So what's up?"

"What are your plans tomorrow?" Ezra asked Aria immediately.

"My plans?" Aria mentally went over her schedule for the next day, while she rummaged through her suitcase. "Um, currently non-existent, I guess. Why?"

"An apartment in one of the apartment complexes is available. Tomorrow I'm going to take a look at it," Ezra said. Hardy had wanted Ezra to do it today, but Ezra had come up with a viable excuse; he had to grade essays. Ezra hadn't been able to come up with an excuse as to why he couldn't go tomorrow, however. "I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."

Aria's fingers triumphantly enclosed around a black box; the one she'd been looking for. Aria stood and walked over to her desk. "You want me to come with you?"

"Of course not. _That's_ why I asked you," Ezra replied. Aria _tsk_ed; she didn't need this guy's sarcastic superiority right now.

Ezra watched with vigilant eyes as Aria retracted different kinds of earrings from the mysterious black box and ignored his question. When she had narrowed it down to two pairs, Ezra realized she wasn't planning on answering any time soon.

"So do you?" Ezra asked her, gently prodding her for an answer.

"Do I what?" Aria asked distractedly.

"Want to come with me?"

Again, Aria didn't respond. Instead, she held up the two pairs of earrings—a green-ish pair and silver pair. She turned toward Ezra with a questioning look on her face. "Which one?"

Ezra gave a frustrated sigh. "The silver ones."

Aria looked at both pairs for a moment longer, before she shrugged. She put the silver ones through the tiny holes in her earlobes, and decided that she was done prepping herself for the night. When she finally focused on Ezra, he had a slightly annoyed expression on his face.

"What?" Aria blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment.

"Tomorrow?" Ezra reminded her. "Do you want to come?"

"Oh! Um, I…," Aria bristled. "Sure."

Ezra nodded and Aria smiled, before she started looking for a bag that matched her outfit. The problem was that Aria still hadn't unpacked yet, and she didn't know which box contained which objects. The past few days she had managed by opening random boxes; though it was always a surprise which items would be in it.

"I'm heading out tonight," Ezra said when Aria opened the third box.

"Okay. Me too."

"I know."

Aria found the exact bag she was looking for. She could feel Ezra's eyes boring a hole in her back and she kind of wondered why he was still in her room. Would it be rude to ask?

Ezra quickly answered Aria's question when he spoke, though.

"But, uh, I kind of need my car keys," Ezra said. Understanding dawned in Aria's eyes a couple seconds later. Aria reached inside a drawer and finally pulled the keys out, throwing them in Ezra's direction. He smoothly caught them in one hand and turned to leave.

Aria's voice stopped him.

"Could you just drop me off somewhere first?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>Ezra dropped Aria off at Spencer's house. Aria had left Spencer's house that afternoon, but they had agreed that she would return in the evening so Noel could pick her up. That Aria was living at a college dormitory was one of the secrets Aria had shared with Spencer the night before, but she couldn't afford to tell more people. Aria had wanted to confide in Spencer and tell her about her other problems as well, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to. She had just settled for discussing living where she living briefly, trying to make it seem like it was not such a big deal.<p>

Noel picked Aria up around ten at the Hastings' residence. Aria had to give him credit—he behaved like a perfect gentleman. Noel complemented her on her outfit and opened the car door for her, allowing her to slip in the passenger's seat. As they drove to their destination, they made small talk and joked around for a bit.

It wasn't until Noel parked the car that Aria bothered to check her surroundings.

Aria went stoically still as she saw the familiar outline of Blanchard House. The resemblance between Kenneth Hall and this dormitory was nearly eerie. Blanchard House was bigger, though, and it was nearly on the opposite side of the campus. The building Byron Montgomery used to teach in was next to it, which is why Aria recognized it instantly.

"This is a college party?" Aria asked Noel.

"Is that a problem?" Noel asked her in return.

Aria swallowed and finally shook her head. "No, of course not," she scoffed.

Noel got out of the car and, after a short hesitation, Aria did the same. Together, they slowly approached the building and entered it. Aria could already feel the floorboards vibrating above them as they reached the staircase.

The party was on the second floor. Aria wasn't sure what the first clue was; the beer cups scattered all over the place, the unusual amount of college students squeezed into one room, or the vibrations Aria could now identify as music.

Blanchard House was much bigger than Kenneth Hall, but it also resided a lot more students and the rooms were smaller. The living room and kitchen were nearly identical to the one Aria lived in, but eight doors—instead of four, like at Kenneth—were connected to it. A couple doors were open, whereas others were closed. The couches were all occupied. Some people were engaging in conversations, some were engaging in other activities. In the kitchen, a regulation group was talking, handing out drinks to those who asked for it.

Aria was overwhelmed. She was overwhelmed by the music, she was overwhelmed by the people, and she was overwhelmed by the fact that she was there with Noel.

"Wait right here. I'll get us some drinks," Noel yelled in Aria's ear. They were standing relatively close to the entrance and they were surrounded by people on all sides. Aria's hand shot out and she grabbed Noel's wrist.

"Don't you dare," she hissed. "I don't know anybody here!"

"Just be your normal, charming self," Noel said to Aria, shooting her a boyish grin. Before Aria could reply or ask him what that even meant, he had already disappeared in a mass of people, leaving Aria by herself.

Aria nervously looked around for a moment. When she couldn't see Noel anymore, she frantically searched the room with her eyes. Aria didn't know whether she was looking for Ezra, Hardy or Melissa. She felt a little silly looking for them. I mean, what were the odds they were there too? They weren't even in college anymore! But Aria didn't release the tense breath she'd been holding until she was convinced she really couldn't find them. Then again, she couldn't see that many people from her current spot.

Aria looked up when a guy approached her. It wasn't until he was in very near proximity that she realized it wasn't Noel. He stumbled in Aria's direction and she instinctively held him off with her hands. With one last forceful push on her part and a "stuck-up bitch" on his part, they parted ways.

Aria was beyond relief when Noel finally returned to her side. She hadn't even been there for two full minutes yet, but she was already anxious to leave. Noel handed her a red, plastic cup with some sort of liquid in it. Aria sniffed it. Coke spiked with something, although her nose wasn't trained enough to distinguish what.

Noel saw Aria's discomfort.

"Let's just finish these and then we can leave," Noel said.

Aria nodded gratefully and that's exactly what they did.

* * *

><p>Ezra Fitz, Brody Adams, Lance Carey, and Chris Castillo had all majored in English at Hollis together, and they were currently having a poker night. Ezra was shuffling the cards, his hands moving back and forth. Poker chips were divided between the guys and Ezra had his fair share in front of him. Ezra placed four piles of two cards in a circle on the table, dealing out the cards. The guys each picked up a pair of cards and studied said pair, their poker faces in place.<p>

"I fold," Chris immediately said, placing back both cards on the table in defeat. He turned toward Ezra. "And you're not dealing again."

Ezra grinned.

Ezra, Brody and Lance used to have these poker nights weekly back when they were still in college. When they became friends with Chris, poker nights became a rare occasion. Chris was nearly invincible when it came to poker. If you won, you knew it was because he pitied you; if he won, you knew it was because he could. Ever since Ezra started dealing cards, however, Chris kept losing.

"I don't know," Lance said slowly. He threw a couple chips to the center of the table, staying in the pot. "I kind of like this arrangement."

"Maybe you just suck at this game," Brody said. He, too, threw in a few chips.

"Exactly!" Ezra exclaimed. "Don't blame your inability to play on my skillful dealing."

Chris scoffed, while Ezra contemplated on what to do. Finally, he folded.

On Ezra's right, Brody was chomping down on a slice of pizza. When Ezra's phone, laying on the table, buzzed, Brody quickly snatched it right out from under Ezra's nose.

"That's mine," Ezra said.

"No phones tonight," Brody replied. He was about to put Ezra's phone out of the owner's reach, but he then saw Ezra had received a new text. Curious as he was, Brody opened it, reading the words. He chuckled and finally looked in Ezra's direction.

"Who's Aria?"

Ezra's head snapped in Brody's direction and Brody laughed.

"What did she want?" Ezra demanded immediately. He couldn't help the urgent tone that was coating his voice. Ezra knew there was a possibility that Aria was going out with Noel Kahn tonight. He'd asked around a little bit at school and he wasn't happy with what he'd heard; apparently Noel had been going through girls at school like they were Kleenex.

"She just asked you to pick her up at Spencer's later tonight?" Brody said, the statement sounding more like a question. He continued to study the screen, before he looked up at Ezra. "I flew all the way out here and you're going to bail on me for a girl?" Brody had moved to New York City after graduation, but he had returned to Pennsylvania especially for the occasion.

"Of course not," Ezra said, while he placed three cards faceup on the table. Brody didn't study the flop, still more interested in Ezra and his phone. He fumbled with the device.

"Wait!" Ezra suddenly said to Brody. "What are you doing?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So up until yesterday I'd never played poker before. Three guys tried to teach me during my Dutch class, but I don't really understand how it works yet. I hope all the rules were correct, haha. I used the internet a little. ;) Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Hello. :) My Spring Break officially started today! Finally, haha. I'll probably upload once or twice the upcoming week. The week after that I'm going to Rome with my school, so I won't be able to upload then.

onceuponaprettycastle: IB? Nog nooit van gehoord, sorry. ;)

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" isn't mine.

* * *

><p>"So—," Aria said hesitantly, "—what's next?"<p>

Aria and Noel were seated in Noel's car, still parked in the parking lot beside Blanchard House. They'd sat there for a brief period of time already and Aria was slowly beginning to regret her decision to leave the party.

"Don't worry," Noel said. "I have a plan."

"A plan?" Aria repeated, raising one skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes, a plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"I guess you will just have to wait and see," Noel said. He gave Aria a mysterious grin, before he turned the key in the ignition. The engine came alive, albeit a little falteringly. Noel looked over his shoulder as he pulled out of the parking spot, before he settled back in his seat. His eyes were fixated on the road.

"I figured that party wouldn't really be your thing," Noel said.

"Then why did you invite me?"

"Because I wanted to go out with you tonight. Sean got the invites to that party from his cousin. But now that I've pleased him, the real fun begins."

Aria couldn't help but laugh. "The real fun, huh?"

"Oh, yes," Noel said very seriously. "I've put some thought into this."

Twenty minutes later, Noel parked his car. After a two-minute walk, their destination came into view. Bright, fluorescent lights lit the entrance as well as they announced the name of the building. Aria turned toward Noel.

"A bowling alley?" she teased. "That's a little cheesy."

"I figured we should go old-school," Noel replied. He looked a little sheepish. Although Aria was surprised he'd come up with something other than a cheap-dinner-and-a-movie date, this wasn't what she had expected. She'd secretly been hoping that he was going to take her to a local music show or something, but Aria finally decided that this was nice too.

Aria quickly sent Ezra a text as they entered the building. They went up to a woman who pointed them in the direction of one of the lanes. Unfortunately, Aria had to change her heels for bowling shoes. She was sad to see them go. So was Noel. He told Aria as much.

They quickly got themselves drinks at the bar once the shoe situation was taken care of, and they walked to their lane.

"Alright! Let's knock down some pins," Aria said.

"Let's," Noel agreed.

Aria grinned. "You're dead, by the way."

And that's when her phone rang.

* * *

><p>"Wait!" Ezra suddenly said to Brody. "What are you doing?"<p>

Before Ezra even realized what was happening, a dial tone filled the room. Ezra's smile froze in place as his blood ran cold. Was he calling Aria? Before Ezra could ask or attempt to remove his phone from Brody's grasp, Brody had already leaned out of Ezra's reach. Ezra opened his mouth to admonish him, but Brody held out his hand to stop him when he heard noises coming from the other side of the line.

"Hello?" Ezra finally heard Aria's familiar voice say through the phone. The bastard had put the call on speaker phone! Brody perked up when he heard the response. Chris and Lance watched with silent amusement.

"Hand me the phone," Ezra said immediately, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He shoved his hand in Brody's face. Brody simply swatted at Ezra's hand and ignored him.

"Hello," Brody said politely. "Is this Aria?"

Ezra held his breath as he waited for Aria's reply, whilst trying to figure out how to proceed.

"Yeah," Aria said after a brief pause. Her reply came more hesitant now, because she didn't recognize Brody's voice. Ezra clenched his jaw together.

"Are you familiar with the concept of a boy's night, Aria? One of the key ingredients is no female interruptions."

"Brody!" Ezra hissed. He once again tried to snatch his phone away, but this only caused Brody to leap up from his chair and walk around the table until he was standing behind Lance.

* * *

><p>"Are you familiar with the concept of a boy's night, Aria? One of the key ingredients is no female interruptions."<p>

Aria's brows knitted together in confusion by the question and Noel was giving her a curious stare. Was this a prank call? She didn't recognize the low male voice, no matter how hard she tried to identify it.

"Who is this?" Aria asked. Indistinguishable noises filled the background. Aria removed the phone from her ear and glanced at the caller ID; a much quicker and more effective method than letting the other person have his fun. Ezra Fitz' initials flashed on her screen.

"Ez—," Aria started. She caught herself just in time and finished with, "—la? Mom?"

* * *

><p>"Mom?"<p>

Brody gave Ezra a funny look and Lance settled for full-out laughter.

"I think she wants to talk to you," Brody said, amused, holding out the phone for Ezra. Ezra let out a guttural groan, but did take advantage of Brody's offer. Ezra moved fast; one second the phone was in Brody's hand, the next it was in his. Ezra took a deep breath, and made sure the phone wasn't on speaker phone anymore when he pressed it against his ear.

"Sorry about that," Ezra said apologetically.

"Was that you before?" Aria asked, relieved to finally hear Ezra's voice. "You sounded real funny."

Ezra sighed. "No, it wasn't me."

"Then who—?"

"My friend," Ezra said, interrupting her. "Never leave your phone unattended. Lesson learned."

Aria laughed. "That explains it," she said. Ezra heard her say something to someone who was with her on the other side of the line, although he couldn't make out the exact words. After a brief pause, Aria spoke to Ezra again.

"Did you need anything? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Right," Ezra said, nodding. "Your date with Noel."

How could he forget?

Ezra didn't even realize his mistake until he was met by silence coming from the other side of the line. Ezra found his friends staring at him, suddenly a lot more interested in Ezra's conversation now that they knew Ezra wasn't dating Aria. Because then who was she? Ezra's words hung in the air for a long time.

"How do you know about that?" Aria finally asked. She couldn't keep edge out of her voice.

"I...," Ezra started lamely. He fiddled absent-mindedly with a poker chip between his fingers while he thought of an explanation. He settled on a half-truth. "The teachers like to gossip a lot, apparently."

"So you talked about me?" Aria said, still not sounding very pleased. "With them?"

"No, Mrs. Welch sort of debriefed me on Noel Kahn," Ezra lied. But before he could say anything else to add to that, Brody stole Ezra's cellphone again and disconnected the call. Brody continued by sending Aria a text, telling her Ezra wasn't going to be able to pick her up tonight.

"Wait!" Ezra said. He fought the urge to punch something. He needed to set this straight and make sure Aria knew he wasn't stalking her at school or something, but Brody was typing furiously away on the touch screen. "I need my phone back."

"Maybe some other time," Brody said. He blocked the phone and slid it in his jeans pocket. "Aria can find another ride."

* * *

><p>As cheesy as bowling may be, Aria did have a really good time with Noel after she tried to forget about her phone call with Ezra. Despite her resolve to make Noel lose his dignity, he still beat her. She was good-humored about it, though, and was satisfied with making empty threats for their next game.<p>

"I had a really good time," Aria told Noel when they were parked in front of Spencer's house again. Darkness surrounded the car, granting them their own private little cubicle.

"Me too. We should do it again sometime."

"We should," Aria agreed. She smiled at Noel one last time, willing him to lean in to kiss her. It didn't happen and Aria reached for the metal door handle. This action made Noel respond quickly.

"I'll get it!" he said. He quickly got out of the car and walked over to the passenger's side. Just like he'd done earlier, he opened the door for Aria. Aria slowly got out of the car, but Noel didn't move out of the way just yet. As she tried to brush past him, they were suddenly very close.

He did kiss her this time.

It was a tentative kiss, his lips brushing softly against hers.

After a short moment, Noel backed away and kissed Aria's forehead. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"I'll call you tonight," he said.

Aria didn't know what else to do but nod mutely, a goofy smile and the feeling of Noel still on her lips. She watched as he got back into his car and sped away. The backlights of his car got smaller and smaller, until they finally disappeared completely.

Once they did, Aria walked over to Spencer's barn. Fortunately the lights were still on. Aria peeked through the window and found Spencer reading a book, lounging on her bed.

Spencer looked up when Aria knocked on the door, recognizing Aria's face through the window. She immediately got up and walked over towards Aria, opening the door.

"Hey," Spencer said, surprise evident on her features. "What are you doing here?"

"My ride bailed on me," Aria said flatly. She wasn't sure why Ezra had texted her to cancel their original plan where he would give her a ride, but she was pretty sure it had something to do with the odd phone call earlier that night. She didn't know whether she should or shouldn't be pissed at him, but she _was _a little uncomfortable with the fact that he knew she had been out with Noel tonight.

Spencer gave Aria a compassionate look. "I'll drive you."

"Okay," Aria said hesitantly. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>"So this is where you live," Spencer said. Her car was parked in front of Kenneth Hall and she was curiously studying the building, taking in the surroundings. Street lights lit the parking lot, but Spencer could barely see the brick building she was trying so hard to see.<p>

"This is where I live," Aria confirmed.

"I like it," Spencer said thoughtfully. "You should show me around. Preferably in broad daylight, but I'll settle for a nice evening like this as well."

"Thanks for the ride, Spence," Aria said, laughing. She ignored Spencer's suggestion; she wasn't going to give her a tour of the floor. Well, maybe she would someday, but if she was, Aria was going to be damn sure that their AP English teacher wasn't within a two-mile radius of the apartment/floor.

"You're welcome," Spencer said. She sighed dramatically, trying to guilt Aria into changing her mind. When it didn't happen, Spencer decided to allow Aria to drop the subject. Aria made motions to get out of the car, but finally turned back to look at Spencer.

"Just make sure to give me a heads-up if you're planning on dropping by," Aria said reluctantly.

Spencer chuckled. "So you can hide all your dark secrets?"

Aria smiled. "Something like that."

* * *

><p>"Fuck!" Aria cursed loudly, adding some more colorful words. She was crouched in front of the door leading to her floor, but it was locked and she couldn't find her keys. Only after she'd thoroughly searched the contents of her bag, spreading them out all over the floor, she remembered where they were; she had connected them to Ezra's car keys so she wouldn't lose them.<p>

Well, wasn't that ironic?

Aria's fist pounded loudly on the locked door for a couple times, but no response came. Either Ezra was still out or he was a very fast sleeper. Aria prayed it was the first option. She grabbed her cell phone to check, dialing Ezra's number.

Ezra answered this time, not his friend.

"Where are you?" Aria asked him.

"I just parked my car," Ezra said. Aria could hear a noise that sounded suspiciously like a car door being slammed shut. "Why?"

"You have my keys."

"I do?"

"Yeah," Aria said. "I connected them to your car keys. I figured I had a better chance of not losing one set of keys than I had not losing two sets of keys."

Ezra chuckled. "Looks like that worked out really well for you."

"No need to rub it in," Aria replied.

"Well, not to worry, damsel in distress. Your savior is on his way."

Aria huffed indignantly. "Just hurry up," she said, disconnecting the call.

Less than a minute later, Aria saw Ezra making his way up the stairs. As soon as he saw Aria, a grin spread over his face. Aria steadfastly ignored that grin, more focused on the keys that would ultimately give her access to her bedroom.

Ezra opened the door and removed Aria's keys from his.

"Here," he said. He handed them to her and she gratefully took them.

"Thanks," Aria said. "I don't know what I would have done if you were sleeping."

Ezra yawned, nodding along with Aria's words. The sight of it made Aria smile. She turned around to go to her bedroom, but Ezra stopped her, grabbing her by her arm.

"About that phone call…," Ezra said.

Aria turned around to listen and Ezra released her arm.

"I'm really sorry," he continued. "I may have seen you and Noel talking at school, so I asked around a little bit about him. I was just trying to look out for you, I swear."

Aria didn't know whether she should be grateful that he felt the need to do this for her or whether she should be furious he was interfering with things that were clearly not his business.

She went with the latter.

"I don't like the idea of you talking with teachers about me," Aria said. "About me _or_ about Noel. It's none of your business."

"I know," Ezra said. He swallowed and finally gave Aria a lopsided grin. "Forgive me?"

Ezra watched Aria with a spark of amusement in his eyes, but it quickly shifted. Aria didn't know what changed, but the way he was suddenly looking at her made her breath catch at the back of her throat. He looked almost… worried?

"I'll think about it," Aria said quietly.

Ezra took a hesitant step forward.

"Please forgive me," he said, crossing another inch. Ezra didn't even realize he had been moving closer until his lips were only inches away from hers. Aria took a shaky breath as she took notice of this fact, too.

"No."

Aria was frozen, locked in his gaze—she couldn't tear her eyes away. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. She nervously bit her bottom lip as neither of them moved, not closing the distance nor making it larger.

_Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid_, Ezra thought to himself.

His lips crashed against hers.

It didn't take long before Aria responded. Before they fully understood what was happening, they pressed their bodies closer together, blinded by sheer passion.

The kiss was everything Aria's kiss with Noel wasn't.

Ezra's hand went up to cup her cheek, while the other snaked around her neck. Ezra's mouth plunged deeper against Aria's, without reservations. A soft moan escaped her lips when his tongue begged for entrance and she eagerly gave in.

Aria was the one who broke the kiss. She suddenly jerked away, pressing against Ezra's chest until he stopped kissing her. Ezra staggered backwards from the impact. Their breathing was labored and their faces were flushed. Aria's huge eyes had grown even bigger with the understanding of what she'd just done—she had kissed her English teacher.

"Don't do that again," Aria managed to croak out, unable to meet Ezra's eyes. Ezra studied Aria for a brief moment.

"Don't kiss me back then," Ezra finally said, before he turned around and walked away from her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Please review! ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **This chapter isn't exactly how I wanted it to be, but I didn't know how else to write it. I hope you'll still like it, though.

Bridget Rando: I was hoping someone would pick up on that, haha! :) Rose and Dimitri are my favorite student-teacher couple. Besides Ezria, of course.

**Disclaimer: **Same as always.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Ezra's kiss still had Aria hot and bothered. When Aria finally gathered up enough courage to leave her bedroom, the thing she feared happened—she came face to face with Ezra. He was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee like he did every morning. Today, he was also reading a newspaper.<p>

Walking over to that table seemed to take forever and Aria was painfully aware of every movement she made. When she pulled up a chair, Ezra looked up in her direction. Their eyes met and Aria stopped short.

"Morning," she mumbled awkwardly. She screwed up her face in a fair approximation of a smile and she tried to avoid his eyes furthermore. The tension in the air was nearly palpable.

"Morning," Ezra replied, before he became overly interested in the reading material in front of him again. Aria considered sitting down and quickly dismissed it, deciding that to stay busy was the better option. She abandoned the chair. She walked over to the coffee machine and pressed the on-button, before she browsed through cabinets for a decent breakfast.

"One of us should probably stop by the grocery store tomorrow," Aria said, breaking the painful silence. Once again, Ezra lifted his eyes, but Aria's back was turned towards him while she fixed herself a meal.

"We're already out of food?"

Aria didn't point out that the last time one of them had gone to the store was on Wednesday. It was a miracle they still had _some _food in the house, which was only due to the fact that Aria had bought enough that day to start her own small grocery store.

"Yeah. But it's okay. I can do it. My car gets here tomorrow."

"Oh. They called you?" Ezra asked, trying to sound interested. And he was interested, but his mind was occupied with other things. He was trying to look at Aria like he would look at any other female student of his; distant, professional and, most importantly, like he hadn't kissed her last night.

He was failing miserably.

"Yes, I got a call on Friday. They'll be dropping it off somewhere around noon," Aria said. She grabbed her plate and took it with her to the table, sitting down right across from Ezra. "I can't say that I'll miss having to pedal my way on my bike everywhere I go."

Ezra chuckled. It sounded forced. "I can't say that I'll miss having to be your personal chauffeur."

"What do you mean, "having to be"?" Aria said, assuming an offended tone. She took a bite of the peanut butter sandwich she'd made for herself. "You always offer to drive me!"

"That's not true," Ezra disagreed. "You also ask me to drive you. You asked me last night."

His words made Aria look down at her food. She picked at the bread crumbs on her plate. The mentioning of last night made her inevitably think back to the kiss she was trying so hard to forget. She hesitantly looked back up and found Ezra staring at her intently.

"Ezra, are we really not going to talk about—"

"Later," Ezra interrupted her. There was a final, dismissive tone in his voice. He sighed heavily, which made Aria grit her teeth in irritation. This was something she wanted to get out of the way, but she couldn't do that by herself. The conversation she wanted to have was one where Ezra was going to have to participate in.

But Ezra wasn't finished.

"We do need to talk about it—I realize that. But I don't want whatever I'll say to influence your answer to my question."

Aria gave Ezra a confused stare. He spoke before she could ask.

"The question that I'll ask you later."

Aria continued to stare at him confusedly. Ezra glanced at his watch, stood and placed his cup in the sink.

"So are you coming?"

"Coming for what?" Aria asked, taking another bite and swallowing it.

"To look at the apartment," Ezra reminded her. "You said you'd come."

Aria gave Ezra an incredulous stare and scowled in frustration, although she didn't know whether it was because she hadn't even finished her breakfast yet or whether it was because he seemed determined to not acknowledge what had happened yesterday. Ezra didn't seem to have a problem with going to the apartment with Aria, though.

"Aria, I need you to come with me."

* * *

><p>Ezra convinced Aria to come with him. They went with Ezra's car.<p>

"I have a good reason for inviting you with me," Ezra said. "I promise."

Aria was seated in the passenger's seat and she wasn't sure if she was happy being in such a small, enclosed space with Ezra. She stared at his moving lips. When he stopped speaking, she quickly lifted her eyes to meet his. If Ezra noticed, he didn't comment on it. Aria was grateful he didn't.

"Let's just drive," Aria said. She put her seatbelt on as Ezra started the car. Their eyes met in the driver's mirror and he smiled at her, before they left the parking lot.

Hardy's apartment complex was in the center of Rosewood and a four-minute drive away from Kenneth Hall. Despite the short distance, Aria thought it was safe to say it was the most awkward car ride she'd ever been on. Neither of them said a word, but the silence spoke volumes.

The apartment complex was a brick building in earth tones; mostly brown. Stone steps led up to the entry door. The building was rather old and it was visible. The building had been tough and strong enough to withstand the elements and function smoothly year after year, but it had left a mark.

Aria and Ezra took the stairs to the third floor. The real estate broker was already there and he introduced himself as Matthew Foster. Hardy was also there and from the looks of it, he was just as surprised to see Aria as Aria was to see him.

"You brought Aria," Hardy stated flatly. Aria's eyes narrowed and swiveled in Ezra's direction.

"Sorry we're late," Ezra told Matthew, ignoring Aria and Hardy. "But it looks like we're all here."

* * *

><p>The apartment was fairly big, but the tour didn't take that long. It had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom and a guest bathroom. In other words, it contained too much space Ezra didn't need and the apartment cost nearly as much a month as he paid for Kenneth Hall in half a year.<p>

Ezra told the real estate agent he would get back to him and the man left for his next business meeting. Aria, Ezra and Hardy were left standing in the hallway. Neither Aria nor Hardy had asked Ezra why he'd asked them both to come with him, but they had a feeling they were about to find out.

"Let's not stay here," Hardy said. "We can talk in my apartment."

"You live here as well?" Aria asked.

"Top floor."

The threesome took the elevator this time.

"What did you think?" Hardy asked Ezra, once he'd pressed the correct button and the elevator doors closed.

"It was a very nice apartment," Ezra said. He meant it. It wouldn't be so bad to live there.

In a matter of seconds, the elevator doors opened again. Hardy opened his front door, and let Aria and Ezra enter his home. Aria curiously studied the mess; the apartment was nearly identical to the one she'd just been in, but it somehow looked very different when it was furnished and decorated.

Aria stopped in the middle of the apartment, unsure how to proceed. Ezra seemed more comfortable with the situation he was in and leisurely strolled through Hardy's apartment, plopping down on one of the couches. After Hardy had closed the door, he did the same and he invited Aria to sit down with them.

She did and Hardy decided that he had waited long enough for the opportune moment to extract answers.

"Okay. So what's going on here?" he demanded from Ezra. He glanced at Aria. "Why did you bring her here?"

"I have a question to ask her," Ezra replied.

"What question?" Aria quickly interjected. She was starting to get frustrated with the vagueness he seemed to treat her with today, but she was also starting to get an idea about what this question was regarding.

Hardy stayed silent, curious about the answer to the question Aria had asked himself, and Ezra took a deep breath.

"Hardy made me a very generous offer. I can't afford that apartment we just saw. But if I take it, he'll pay the part of the rent I can't cover," Ezra started to explain to Aria. He shot his friend a grateful smile. It was truly a very nice thing to do, even if money wasn't an issue for Hardy and his family, and Ezra had to admit it was nice to have options.

"I told Hardy it's an offer I cannot accept."

Aria didn't say anything and Ezra continued.

"But I realize I'm not the only one I should be thinking about here. I understand that it might be awkward for you to live with your English teacher."

_The English teacher you kissed last night. _Ezra left those words unspoken and Aria speechless. "Awkward" was an understatement, and he and Aria both knew it.

"So, if you want me to, I'll move out of Kenneth Hall," Ezra finished. He carefully studied Aria, who was at a loss for words. Hardy was pleased with Ezra's decision, though, assuming Aria was going to make the right decision as well; just like Ezra had. Hardy turned to look at her expectantly.

"You want to move out?" Aria stated for confirmation.

"It's not about what I want. I already know what I want," Ezra said. "It's about what you want me to do."

"You want to know if _I_ want you to move out?"

"Yes."

"I…"

Aria couldn't finish. What was she supposed to say to that? Truthfully, she didn't know what she wanted. She had just assumed that their living situation was going to stay one that was forced upon them. Now that she had the power to change it, she realized she'd never even thought about to what extent she minded living with Ezra.

Ezra saw Aria's hesitation.

"You don't have to say anything right now," he said. "You can think about it. I just wanted you to have a choice in the matter."

* * *

><p>On Monday morning, right before his first class, Ezra was distracted. Which is never a good thing if you're roaming a busy high school hallway. Aria still hadn't answered his question and he didn't want to press her, so he had given her some space for the remainder of Sunday. Another part of the reason he had avoided her was because he wasn't ready to talk about what had happened on Saturday night yet. Ezra had never been in a situation like this before and he didn't know what to do.<p>

As a result of his distraction, Ezra ran smack into 140 pounds of solid female.

"Ezra!" Mrs. Welch exclaimed. "Just the man I was looking for."

"Hey Mrs. Welch," Ezra replied. He shot her a polite smile.

"Do you have a minute?" Mrs. Welch asked.

"Sure," Ezra said with a shrug. The first bell hadn't rung yet.

"I have some good news. I just talked to Mr. Tamborelli and Rosewood High is accepted!" she said excitedly. She awaited Ezra's reaction and found that there was none.

"I have no idea what that means," Ezra admitted with a wry twist of his mouth, bewildered.

"I keep forgetting you're new," Mrs. Welch mumbled sheepishly. This wasn't the first time she'd struck up a conversation with Ezra like he'd been working there for years already. She always had to fill him in. Ezra liked her, though; she was a nice woman.

"We sign up each year for a high school writing competition in New York and our school gets to go this year; the entire English department as well as the students who want to go."

"Wow," Ezra said. "That _is _good news."

"I know." Mrs. Welch smiled. "I can't wait to tell the students."

"Anyone who wants to go gets to go?"

"No, it's for seniors and juniors only. It takes place during a weekend. I need you to sign up the students who want to go before Wednesday," Mrs. Welch said. She handed him a stack of informative letters to pass out in his assigned junior and senior classes. "Anything you need to know should be on here."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I'm not sure yet if I'm going to make Ezra move out. If he moves out, it'll probably take a couple more weeks before he does, though. ;) Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Hi.

**Disclaimer: **Y'know.

* * *

><p>"I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Ezra Fitz announced, surveying the classroom and concluding his first English class for the day.<p>

Chairs scraped backwards and chatter started up as the students trickled out of the room. Aria was among them, trying to inconspicuously slip past Ezra—she wasn't ready yet for him to ask her to stay behind and force her to talk.

Ezra followed Aria with his eyes, fascinated by her behavior. She was ducking her head, not looking in his direction, and clutching her books tightly to her chest. Just when she reached the door and relief washed over her features, his voice rang out.

"Aria?" Just the way he said her name made her stop in her tracks. His voice was restrained, almost professional. "A word?"

She pushed back her shoulders—straightening her spine—and turned back around. When she walked over to his desk, she could tell he was just as tense as she was. She halted a couple feet away from him and gave him a questioning look.

"We need to talk," Ezra said. He could feel the discomfort in Aria's posture.

"And you thought it would be a good idea to do that _here_?" Aria asked, raising her eyebrows. She glanced at the door. It was still open, and she could frequently see people walking by. It weren't just students, but teachers as well, and they could walk in any minute.

Ezra shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Then why—"

"I just need to make sure that you do, in fact, want to talk about it," Ezra said, giving her a calculated look.

"I…," Aria said. She swallowed and nodded. "Yes, I want to talk about it."

"Okay. Good," Ezra said, nodding as well. His voice dropped to a whisper. "And I don't just mean about… what happened." He didn't have to say it; they both knew what he meant and it was something they weren't going to mention at school. "You never answered my question."

"You never answered mine either," Aria said quietly. She met his eyes. "Do you want to leave Kenneth Hall?"

Ezra took a deep breath. He opened his mouth and shut it two or three times.

He didn't want to leave. That, he knew. He wanted to stand on his own feet and depend on nobody but himself for once. But he wasn't sure if that was truly the right decision. Maybe it wasn´t about what he wanted. Maybe, given the circumstances, leaving was just the better option.

"If you _don't_ want me gone, I'm not going anywhere," Ezra said. "But if you want me to leave, I will. It's as simple as that."

Aria studied Ezra for a moment. "Then you shouldn't leave. For now."

* * *

><p>Aria was aware of Ezra Fitz's presence in the school cafeteria as soon as she entered it. She was even more aware of his lingering gaze on her. He was sitting at the lunch table in the corner with a few of his colleagues, but he wasn´t focusing on whatever they were saying. Instead, he was focusing on one of his students and she was a vision to behold.<p>

Aria headed straight for the waiting line to get food, her back turned towards Ezra as she waited. She got a soda and an apple, turning down the other nutritional options for lack of hunger. She paid and made her way to her friends. She´d already spotted Emily, Spencer, and Hanna siting at their usual table. Aria wasn´t surprised to see that Caleb, Toby and Maya were also there, but she _was_ surprised to see Noel.

"Hey," Noel said when Aria reached the table. There was an open seat on his left; he'd managed to squeeze an additional ninth chair to the table.

"Hey."

Aria smiled at Noel, briefly looked at her friends, who were looking right back at her, and focused on Noel again. He stood and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. Noel had hinted in the car that he wanted a repetition of their date—so had she, for that matter—and this made his intentions pretty clear. Aria wasn't sure how she felt about it, but she smiled as she sat down.

Her smile soon faltered when she found Ezra staring straight at her, instantly reminding her that Noel wasn't the only guy she'd kissed on Saturday. Aria quickly broke their eye contact, dedicating her attention to the conversation at hand.

"When did this happen?" Maya asked, looking between Noel and Aria. Nobody looked that surprised to see them together. The only thing they were surprised by was that they'd gotten together so soon; this was Aria's second week back in Rosewood.

Aria glanced at Noel, giving him the honor of answering. Her eyes then darted in Ezra's direction; he wasn't looking anymore.

"This Saturday, I guess," Noel said, reclaiming Aria's main focus. He shot Aria his boyish grin. When he leaned in yet again to kiss her, Aria quickly lifted her drink to her lips, taking a sip and pretending she hadn't picked up on what he was about to do. Aria wasn't sure why she did it—she only knew that she was suddenly very confused.

* * *

><p>Spencer pulled Aria aside in the hallway after lunch.<p>

"What's wrong?" Spencer asked. She looked over her shoulder and made sure no one was listening in on their conversation. It wasn't necessary; everyone else was minding his or her own business and properly ignored them.

"Nothing's wrong," Aria mumbled. She readjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

Spencer gave her a skeptical look. A look most people wouldn't want to be on the other end of. "Aria, you looked miserable out there. I thought you liked Noel."

"I did," Aria said, nodding. "I mean, I do."

Spencer didn't say anything.

"I really do, Spence," Aria insisted.

Spencer sighed. "Then what's wrong?"

"Like I said, nothing's wrong." Aria gave her a radiant smile. She pushed past Spencer, before she practically scampered down the hallway to her next class.

* * *

><p>When the bell rang, Aria rushed to her locker, only to find Noel already there, vacating in front of it, looking casual.<p>

"Hey," Noel said. "I was waiting for you."

"I noticed," Aria replied with a smile. She allowed Noel to get close to her as she opened her locker. She stuffed her books in it and glanced up at him from under her eyelashes. "What's up?"

"How does dinner tomorrow sound?"

Aria considered it. She liked Noel. A lot. She always had and she probably always would. Ezra Fitz may have gotten her confused, but Noel was going to help her uncomplicate things.

"I don't know," Aria said, trying to sound torn over the decision. Noel grinned at her and she grinned back. "I love that idea."

Noel put his hands on Aria's shoulders, startling her. He gently pushed her against the wall and he bent his head, leaning in so close his lips were almost touching hers.

"It's a date," he whispered. "I'll text you."

And then he just sauntered off.

* * *

><p>Aria had texted Ezra, asking him if he could go to the grocery store after school, and he did. Aria's plan had been to wait for her car to arrive, but that plan had slightly changed. She <em>was<em> waiting on one of the public benches in front of Kenneth Hall. Just not for her car.

"Let me guess," Ezra said when he saw Aria sitting outside. He walked over, nearly drowning in the three largely-sized grocery bags he carried along with him. "You forgot your keys again."

Aria chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Actually I was waiting for you."

"Really?" Ezra said, his eyebrows shooting up.

"What are you doing this afternoon?" Aria asked him.

"Nothing, I gue—"

"Great!" Aria interrupted. "I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Ezra was suddenly on his guard. He shifted one of the grocery bags on his arms to get a better look at Aria. The movement was too rough and the bag came dangerously close to tumbling to the ground.

"Here. Let me get that for you," Aria said quickly. She took over one of the grocery bags, saving it right on time, and Ezra gratefully handed it to her.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Aria said. She paused. "Isn't it nice when a friend does you a favor?"

"What do you want?" Ezra sighed, while he slowly started walking in the direction of Kenneth Hall. Aria followed close behind. Together, they entered the building.

"Well, I thought they would be delivering my car here today, but it seems I've been misinformed," Aria said.

"It's not getting here today?"

"Oh, it's already here!" Aria said. "Just not here, here."

Ezra stopped walking, confused, and turned to look at Aria. "You're going to have to elaborate on that."

"It's at the airport in Philadelphia. It's not getting delivered. Apparently you need to let them know upfront if you want them to drop it off at your house. I thought my dad did, but…"

"He didn't," Ezra finished.

"He didn't," Aria agreed.

"And you want a ride to the airport," Ezra stated.

"And I want a ride to the airport," Aria agreed again. She didn't await Ezra's reaction. "I would ask my friends, but then I'd have to tell them to pick me up here and then they'd know where I live and then they're going to want to see the building and then they might—"

"I'll drive you."

"Thank you!" Aria exclaimed, elated.

* * *

><p>Aria had successfully blocked out their awkward car ride from the day before, but it all came back to her now. What had seemed like such a good idea before suddenly seemed like the exact opposite when they were on their way to Philadelphia together. Aria had sunk in her car seat as far as possible. One of the first things they'd done was turn up the music and Aria was listening intently how the sound of the music blended together with the sound of the engine.<p>

People in Rosewood usually took the train to Philadelphia, but with a car you could get there in about an hour. If you were lucky. Which Aria and Ezra weren't. Traffic was jammed and they'd moved about ten feet in just as many minutes.

"I am so glad this is the last time I'll have to drive you," Ezra said, fighting the urge to complain.

"Come on!" Aria exclaimed. "I didn't know it was going to be this bad!"

"I know you didn't," Ezra sighed. After careful consideration he added, "I just wish I had left those groceries in the car. I'm hungry."

As if on cue, Aria's stomach growled.

They shared a look and laughed.

Soon afterwards, the laughter died down again.

"You know, this would actually be a pretty good time and place to talk," Aria said hesitantly. "At least no one can overhear us here, like at school."

Aria found the courage to glance at Ezra and it collided with a look from him that made her insides squirm. Ezra dragged his eyes to the road and moved the car a couple feet, closing the distance between his car and the one in front it. He didn't say anything. How could he discuss how wrong it was of him to kiss her, when all he wanted to do was do it again right now?

"Or we could ask each other questions like last time?" Aria suggested, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Let's do that," Ezra said.

Aria let out a breath in relief. Even if this was a good time to talk about it, that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to talk about it right now. She preferred they would do it at a location where she could leave if the conversation didn't end well, which is why she was more than happy to settle for answering silly questions.

There was a miscommunication. The question Ezra asked Aria had far more to do with the thing they needed to discuss, than it had with the capital of Antarctica or some other insignificant fact.

"Are you going out with Noel again?"

Aria became very still. Her body tensed up, like she was about to run and get away from Ezra as far as humanly possible. Which wouldn't be very far. Because they were stuck in his car.

"Why are you asking exactly?"

"I don't know. You told me to ask you a question."

"Ezra," Aria said. She met his eyes. "Why are you asking?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Sorry for the bad ending. I'll try and update one more time before Monday, but otherwise I'll be in Rome for a week. :) Please review!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **I got home a little earlier than expected today. My parents have this birthday party, so I have to look after the dogs. Lucky me! -_- I already had most of the dialogue written for this chapter, so I decided to finish it today. :)

**Disclaimer:** "Pretty Little Liars" isn't mine.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ezra," Aria said. She met his eyes. "Why are you asking?"<em>

The expression on her face was serious. Aria was in high offensive mode—her eyes were wide, her nostrils were dilated, and her tiny body was almost tense with aggression. Ezra had to remind himself repeatedly that it wasn't his business. Aria was his student and his roommate, not his girlfriend or anything remotely close in that direction. His thoughts weren't so much coherent as they were a jumble of panic.

Aria waited for Ezra's big reaction. When she saw the horrible expression on his face, her attitude adjusted—she softened a little, although not by much.

A moment of silence passed as Ezra contemplated whether or not he should tell her everything he had heard about Noel Kahn. Should he tell her about the stolen test answers? The serial dating part? Aria might believe him, but would she care? She would probably be more bothered by him looking into it, than the actual things Ezra had to say about Noel.

"I just… I don't like him."

Ezra heard how pathetic it sounded. Aria let out a short, incredulous laugh, confirming that fact. She could feel her face narrow in a suspicious squint.

"Well, you don't have to date him," Aria replied. "But I am going to."

Why was he interfering? Why did he care? She had a dreadful feeling about the answer. Surely Ezra Fitz wasn't jealous. Was he? No. He couldn't be.

"Aria, I'm serious," Ezra said in his best teacher voice, trying to sound wise. "I haven't heard a lot of good things about him."

Aria stared at him, waiting for more. Maddeningly, he did not elaborate.

"Give me one good reason not to go out with him again," she demanded. Instead of a response, there was an ominous silence. "We may have kissed," Aria continued, for the first time mentioning out loud that it had actually happened, "but that has _nothing _to do with this and it sure as hell doesn't make it any of your business."

For a short moment Aria thought she had actually stunned Ezra into silence. She was wrong.

"Just ask your friends how many girls he has dated while you were in Iceland," Ezra said quietly, struggling to stay focused on the road. It was an impressive number, but he had a feeling it would make more of an impression on Aria if she heard it from one of her friends, rather than from him.

There was no reply from Aria this time.

"I only looked into it because I cared," Ezra went on. "_Before _our kiss. Which wasn't planned. It was just a mistake."

His words made Aria flinch. A mistake. Although that's what she knew their kiss was, it was surprisingly painful to hear him say it. She had been scared to evaluate her feelings any more than she already had. She was scared what the outcome would be.

"I'm sorry," Aria said suddenly.

The car nearly swerved off the road.

"What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry," Aria repeated, taking a big gulp of air. He was going to make her spell it out. "I kissed you back. That makes me just as guilty as you. So I'm sorry."

She was… apologizing? Ezra's jaw nearly dropped.

"I'm sorry, too," Ezra finally said. With moderate sincerity. "I won't talk to you about Noel again."

He didn't say anything about the kiss. It may have been a mistake, but it wasn't one he regretted.

"Just drive."

Her voice was so quiet Ezra thought he'd imagined it. But when a car honked loudly at him from behind, he realized traffic had began moving at a faster pace. Gradually, everything went back to normal and he accelerated to a more average speed.

* * *

><p>The remainder of the car ride progressed more smoothly after that, and the Philadelphia International Airport soon came into view. An overwhelming amount of cars were parked near the large building, and Aria could see groups of people walking past, carrying suitcases, their faces brimmed with happiness.<p>

"Okay. So that was sufficiently awkward," Aria said, breaking the quiet. She wasn't sure if Ezra was mad at her and she was even more confused how she herself felt, but she wanted to break the ice a little. There was a hint of laughter turning up the corners of Ezra's mouth, although it wasn't all that funny. It was the opposite.

"Thank you for the ride. I really appreciate it," Aria continued.

"Anytime," Ezra lied. He stopped short of saying anything else.

Aria cleared her throat. "I should go find my car."

"Do you know where you need to go?"

"They called and gave me some directions. I think I'll manage."

"Okay. Otherwise you can call me," Ezra said. "I'm going to get something to eat. Could you grab my spare wallet?" He eyed a hidden compartment right in front of Aria.

"You have a spare wallet?"

"Sure," Ezra said with a shrug. Didn't everyone have one? In his experience, they did. "For emergencies like this. I don't think I can wait another hour for food."

"Alright. Well, sure," Aria said hesitantly. "Where is it?" She followed the direction of Ezra's gaze, but saw nothing that resembled anything like a spare wallet.

Ezra sighed in good humor. "Never mind. I'll get it."

Before Aria could reply or get out of the car, Ezra leaned over to the side of the passenger's seat, and Aria didn't dare move. His arm brushed her thighs as he opened something that looked like a drawer. A simple, black wallet was inside and Ezra triumphantly enclosed his fingers around it.

"Would you look at that," Aria mumbled. "A spare wallet."

Ezra grinned and slowly moved away from Aria.

"You want to borrow some cash?"

Aria was hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch break at school and this was usually the time when she ate dinner. She would feel bad about taking money from him, but not bad enough to turn his offer down. She had only thought to bring identification, because it was required when she picked up her car.

"That'd be great."

Ezra opened his wallet and took out three ten dollar bills, wondering if it was enough. He had no idea what Aria wanted to eat, but airport food was often more expensive than it was elsewhere. He handed Aria the money. She enthusiastically accepted it, her hand brushing against his as she did so.

They both heard her sharp intake of breath and they both ignored it.

"Thanks," Aria said softly, staring into his eyes. She was disgusted by the squeakiness of her voice.

"You're welcome," Ezra replied equally softly, staring right back at her.

Aria nervously ran her hand through her hair, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. At the slightest inclination of her head it fell in front of her face again.

Ezra's hand was almost shaking as he pushed the lock of hair back behind her ear, knowing what he was doing was wrong. Very wrong. When Ezra's hand continued to trace her cheekbone, Aria knew he was going to kiss her and she knew she should be pulling away. But she didn't. She leaned into his touch instead. His hand danced down her throat and she could no longer breathe—breathing became optional.

It was Aria who made the first move this time. They melted into one another as time seemed to freeze around them. Ezra's anger translated into something else when he kissed her and his lips were urgent on hers.

When they pulled back, Aria's lips felt sore.

"Oh, my God," she whispered. Her hand covered her mouth and she looked absolutely mortified.

"What are—"

"I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to."

The answer surprised both of them, but perhaps Aria even more so than Ezra. But before Ezra could respond, Aria escaped. She jumped out of the car, leaving the door open behind her in her hurry. Ezra looked after her as she ran to the airport without looking back. He considered following her, but finally started the engine again. Dinner was going to have to wait.

* * *

><p>Aria's shoulders relaxed as soon as the warm air of the airport met her skin, slowing down her pace to one which wouldn't attract attention. There was a lump in her throat she wasn't sure she could swallow. She stopped in the middle of a mass, fearing that any abrupt movements would release the tears that were blurring her vision. After blinking furiously a couple of times, the tears disappeared completely—Aria Montgomery rarely cried and she wasn't about to start now.<p>

Aria retrieved her phone from her pocket. She dialed a number and pressed the device against her ear. Spencer picked up on the first ring.

"Maybe you were right," Aria said, skipping her greetings.

"I always am," was Spencer's reply. Aria could feel the smile in her voice. "What am I right about this time?"

"I…," Aria started. She wasn't sure how much she could tell Spencer without revealing too much. But Spencer knew Aria was living at Kenneth Hall and she knew Aria had a male roommate, even if she didn't know it was Ezra Fitz.

"My roommate kissed me," Aria said. "And I'm confused. About Noel and about… everything."

* * *

><p>"You look like crap," was Hardy's greeting.<p>

"Thanks," Ezra replied flatly.

Hardy motioned for Ezra to enter his apartment and he did so without hesitation. Hardy waited until Ezra was ready to talk—it was a talent he'd mastered over the years and it usually required great patience. Ezra had had an hour to organize his thoughts, however, and he spoke almost immediately.

"I did something really stupid."

Hardy didn't like the sound of that. He simply looked at his friend for a brief moment.

"What did you do?"

"Something really, really stupid," Ezra said, chastising himself and worrying Hardy further. Ezra's hand went to his hair in a frustrated manner and he turned to look at Hardy. "I mean, I knew it was stupid, but it just happened."

Ezra had been stupid before—everybody made mistakes. But this was something else entirely. This wasn't just stupid. This was dangerous, immature, idiotic, impulsive, and… well, stupid.

"Ezra, what did you do?"

It took Ezra a moment to answer, because he knew all hell would break loose if he told Hardy.

"I kissed Aria."

But Hardy didn't say anything.

"Twice."

He stayed shockingly quiet.

"You can yell at me now."

Hardy was looking at Ezra with a funny expression on his face. That single look made Ezra more uncomfortable than Hardy yelling at him would.

"Did she kiss you back?" Hardy asked Ezra quietly.

The question caught Ezra off guard.

"What?"

"You heard me," Hardy said. He met Ezra's eyes directly now and Ezra shifted, suddenly uneasy. "Did she kiss you back?"

_Yes._

"No."

Hardy took a really deep breath.

"As your friend, I should probably yell at you now. Like you suggested," Hardy said to Ezra. "But you've obviously already realized what you did was wrong, so I'm not going to. You need a date."

"A date?"

"Yes. I know a girl I've thought you'd be great with for a while now," Hardy murmured. "How does tomorrow sound?"

Tomorrow. As soon as possible.

"Do I know this girl?"

"No."

Was that what he needed? A blind date? Maybe it was. What better way was there to get over this stupid thing with Aria—whatever it was—than going out with another girl? Maybe it was healthy for him to just date someone again. It was something he hadn't done since he'd broken up with Jackie.

"Is she nice?"

"Very."

"Alright," Ezra said. He almost regretted the word as soon as it left his mouth. "Set it up. But keep it simple. I'll just take her to dinner."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **You can probably guess what's going to happen next. Or maybe not. I don't know, haha. But I hope you liked this chapter! :) I'm going to Rome on Monday and I'll get back on Saturday. I'll update sometime soon after that. Please review! ;)


	15. Chapter 15

**A/B: **Here's chapter 15! Thanks for all the reviews so far. :) Rome was amazing. The hotel not so much. I didn't really want to do anything but sleep, read and write today, so that's what I did. :) Oh, and happy Mother's Day!

Judith: Yes, I am.

Anon: Haha, they will eventually.

**Disclaimer: **The usual.

* * *

><p>Aria stopped by the grocery store on her way home, driving her own, familiar car again. Lucian was at Kenneth Hall and Aria was taken by surprise when she came home to two guys instead of just one. She ignored them both, and Aria and Ezra did a silent dance through the kitchen as they prepared dinner, while Lucian offered his running commentary.<p>

Aria was starting to feel smothered by the constant tension present at Kenneth and she was getting tired of it. Ezra's face had shut down as soon as Aria entered the room and Aria didn't know how to read him. Fortunately, Lucian was enough of a distraction for the both of them—being in Lucian's presence again was like being around a particularly irritating two-year-old.

Dinner was quiet, uneventful and boring. Aria excused herself afterwards and went to her room. She waited until Ezra and Lucian had gone to their bedrooms, before she slipped out of her own. She tiptoed over to Ezra's as quietly as she could possibly muster and perfunctorily knocked on his door. No reply came, but she entered anyway. Ezra was on his bed—still fully dressed, Aria was relieved to see—and a book was in his lap. He lifted his eyes due to the intrusion.

"What are you doing here?"

Aria froze on the spot.

What _was _she doing here?

"I hope you don't mind me coming by," Aria mumbled. She looked profoundly embarrassed. "I just… I didn't know where else we could talk."

"You want to talk?" Ezra asked her skeptically. He inclined his head. The singular look Ezra gave Aria made her want to take a step backwards. Did he think she was coming here for something else?

"I don't want to talk. I wanted to apologize again," Aria said. She couldn't bring herself to look at him as she did so. "I don't know what came over me." She forced herself to look up. "And I don't know why you make me feel the way you make me feel, but it won't happen again."

"It _can't_ happen again."

Ezra said this with a determination that threw Aria off. She looked down at her feet, refusing to alert him to her vulnerability. Maybe she couldn't fathom why she felt the way she felt, but she was in no hurry to find out.

"I know," Aria said quietly.

And there was nothing left to say, so she exited the room.

* * *

><p>Aria woke up slowly the next day. She lay snuggled under the covers, now and then lifting or stretching an arm or a leg. It took a moment, but she then gradually remembered the happenings of the day before. And Aria decided she just couldn't face Ezra today—not over a fucking school desk. Staying in her comfy, warm bed was a very appealing option. Feigning sickness wouldn't be that hard.<p>

But Ezra had noticed Aria wasn't up yet and he was considering physically hauling her out of bed. When he barged into her room, however, Aria quickly jumped up, fighting the urge to comb her hair with her fingers to make it look more presentable.

"Good. You're up," Ezra said.

Aria gave him a belligerent glare. "Get out of my room."

"Get dressed."

"I didn't say you could come in here."

"You didn't seem to need an invitation last night, either."

* * *

><p>When Aria reluctantly trudged over to her car, she knew she was never going to make it on time. Ezra had already left, but she was deliberately five minutes late. She knew it was childish, but she wanted to see what Ezra was going to do—he could give her a detention or let her off the hook. Either way, Aria would try to read the message behind his action.<p>

Ten minutes later, she had finally managed to find an empty spot in the already crowded parking lot. She was in no hurry to get to her locker and she walked even slower to the classroom belonging to Ezra Fitz. Heads swiveled in her direction as she opened the door and Ezra paused in the middle of his speech.

"Miss Montgomery."

"Mr. Fitz," Aria replied, because it was simply all she could think of to say.

Their gazes crossed and a silent conversation progressed. The entire class waited for him to give her a detention, looking bored whilst doing so. Aria was holding her breath as she waited for him to do it as well.

Only he didn't.

"You can take a seat."

Aria let out the breath she'd been holding, and she walked to an open seat with a self-satisfied smile on her face. She wasn't the first that had arrived late in this English class and she knew for a fact that the others had received detentions, yet he had chosen to treat her differently.

Which meant he saw her differently as his other students.

Or maybe he just felt guilty.

Aria thought this over while Ezra continued his class. The school bell interrupted her thought stream. Aria gathered her things quickly, hoping to avoid talking to Ezra. But before she could escape, he caught her eye, waving her over.

Once again, Aria lingered. This time, Hanna Marin lingered as well.

"You coming?"

"Uh, yeah! I'll be right there," Aria said, giving her a small smile. "Can you wait for me in the hallway?"

"Sure," Hanna said, leaving the classroom along with everybody else. Aria leaned against Ezra's desk, not saying anything. Ezra was looking at the disappearing backs and focused his attention on Aria once everyone was gone.

"Breathe," he said.

Aria looked confused.

"What?"

Ezra chuckled. "You can relax. I'm not going to yell at you." He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Unless I should?"

Aria quickly shook her head.

"What do you want?" she asked impatiently.

"I wanted to talk to you about New York."

"Oh."

"Do you want to go?" Ezra asked her directly.

It was a question Aria hadn't seen coming. She hadn't had much time to think about New York yet. Aria stared into Ezra's expectant eyes, and it was almost enough to make her say yes, along with the big opportunity this contest could be for her. But going to New York with Ezra for a weekend—accompanied by other teachers and students—was quite possibly the worst idea there was.

"Wasn't planning on it," Aria said curtly.

Ezra gave a deep sigh.

"You should think about it. There's still one more day left," he said. "You shouldn't go for anybody but yourself, but you also shouldn't _not_ go for anybody but yourself."

Ezra examined Aria for a moment. She wasn't responding to his words.

"And are you okay?" he asked carefully. "You look upset."

Aria narrowed her eyes at him, horrified that tears were blurring her vision. Where were those coming from?

"Everything's just peachy," Aria snapped. She quickly covered her emotions up by anger. Ezra silently took in the suddenly infuriated expression on Aria's face and her tense posture.

"You're mad."

"Gee, what gave you that impression?"

Aria took a shaky breath and Ezra waited for more.

"You kissed me, I kissed you and we're living together. I can't sit in this classroom every day and call you Mr. Fitz. It's too damn hard."

Ezra stared at Aria for a moment, taken aback.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "But there's nothing we can do to change that."

They stared at each other in silence for another moment. Ezra still saw the vulnerable girl he'd seen a couple seconds ago and he felt a strange need to comfort her. After a brief hesitation, he went in for a hug.

Aria wanted a hug; she just didn't want one from Ezra. Or did she? She pushed him away, but when he tried yet again to hug her, she didn't protest. His arms went around Aria's tiny frame and Aria buried her face in his chest, a soft sob she'd been holding back escaping her throat.

His hands were making soothing patterns on her back when Hanna walked into the classroom, wondering why she had to wait so long. Her eyes widened when she saw her AP English teacher hugging her friend. No. Not hugging her, _comforting_ her. Hanna noticed Aria was crying; her shoulders were softly heaving up and down with each sob.

"Is everything alright?" she asked hesitantly. Aria and Ezra jumped apart quickly. They looked from Hanna to each other. Aria pressed her lips together tightly.

"Aria?" Ezra said questioningly.

Aria took a deep breath, wiped the tears away, nodded and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Yeah, everything's fine."

Aria gave Ezra one last glance, before she took Hanna's arm and let Hanna drag her out of the classroom. Spencer was waiting around the corner.

"So is this going to be a regular thing?" she asked Aria. "You and Mr. Fitz chatting after class?"

"Yeah," Hanna said slowly. She gave Aria a look Aria couldn't decipher. "What were you guys talking about?"

"The writing competition. He wanted to know if I'm going to participate," Aria said. She could feel Hanna's eyes on her.

"Exactly what I was hoping for. You should do it," Spencer said, grinning. "You're not going to make me go to New York by myself, are you?"

"Not sure yet," Aria said truthfully. She didn't want to abandon Spencer and Hanna after they'd waited for her, but that's precisely what she did. The look Hanna gave her let her know they weren't done talking about this.

* * *

><p>Daphne Bates was a friend of Melissa Hastings and Ezra had seen her in Rosewood before, although they'd never spoken. Ezra had to admit she was a nice girl and very pretty. Her appearance was the complete opposite of Aria's. The girl's straight blonde hair stopped at her shoulders, she was only two inches shorter than Ezra, and her blue eyes were striking, but they were no match for Aria's big, hazel ones. And, most importantly, Daphne was his own age.<p>

Ezra picked her up in his car and took her out for dinner, just like he had told Hardy he would. Rosewood wasn't very big and there were only two restaurants—a pizza place, if you counted it as a restaurant, and a more expensive one. Ezra took her to the latter, covering the basic conversation topics as they drove to their destination.

"Ever been on a blind date before?" Ezra asked her as he opened her car door.

"I don't think it's technically a blind date if you've seen the person," Daphne replied with a smile. She, too, had seen Ezra in Rosewood before. She pushed her hair over her shoulder and got out of the car. "But no, I haven't. Have you?"

"Nope. I'm going to count this as my first one," Ezra said with a grin. He put his hand on the small of her back and walked her to the restaurant. He hadn't reserved a table, but he didn't need to—plenty tables were available, especially on a Tuesday night. Ezra's eyes roamed over the room as he looked for a table for two. His stomach plummeted when his gaze locked with the hazel eyes he'd just compared to Daphne's blue ones.

Aria looked beyond him and frowned, as if she was annoyed that Ezra was blocking her line of vision. It was only a matter of seconds when she truly recognized Ezra. The person opposed to her looked over his shoulder to see what Aria was looking at, because her facial expression had changed completely. Noel Kahn gave his English teacher a lazy wave, before he turned back to his date.

"This table looks good," Daphne said in Ezra's ear, pointing to one not too far away from the table occupied by his students. Ezra nodded mutely, not looking away from Aria for a second.

Aria was watching him and Daphne, realizing they were also on a date, and Ezra quickly looked away. He felt Aria's stare as he and Daphne sat down, his back directed towards Aria.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **If there's something you'd like to happen, let me know. ;) Please review.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Hello! Thanks for all the reviews. I tried to work in some of the ideas people mentioned. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so I really hope you like it. I guess that's all I have to say. :)

what lies beneath the surface: Ezra doesn't know about Alison yet, but that will come up. All he knows about her past is that she lived in Rosewood and was friends with Hanna, Spencer and Emily. ;)

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine. I used a video for this chapter. It was ninety seconds long, featuring Tim Ferriss. If you read it, you'll probably understand what the video was about.

* * *

><p>Aria would be lying if she said she wasn't perturbed by Ezra's sudden appearance. Every time he and his date laughed, her heart lurched. Every second he was talking to her, she grew more and more worried. It took her a moment, but Aria realized she was jealous.<p>

And she wanted Ezra to be jealous as well.

"This feels kind of awkward," Aria blurted without thinking.

Noel frowned at her abrupt exclamation and Aria pressed her lips tightly together, wishing she'd never spoken. Noel was a little confused, because he didn't understand why this dinner was awkward for Aria. Run-ins with teachers out of school simply happened and people usually weren't bothered by them.

"Why?" Noel asked.

"I don't know," Aria mumbled. She briefly glanced in Ezra's direction, before focusing back on Noel. "Our English teacher is two tables away."

Noel shrugged dismissively. "So? We're just eating."

Again, Aria's eyes darted in Ezra Fitz' direction. From her peripheral vision, she could see he had slightly turned his chair and he was now looking straight at her. She flushed, embarrassed he had caught her looking, and broke the eye contact.

Noel, whose back was still turned towards their English teacher, had no idea the exchange even happened. Instead, he thoughtfully cocked his head to the side. Aria watched as an idea began to form in his head and a devious expression crossed his features.

"What?" Aria asked slowly, carefully.

"Just thinking about how much I want to kiss you," Noel replied. His gaze briefly dropped to Aria's lips as he did so, before he dragged them back up and met her eyes.

An involuntary smile made the corners of Aria's mouth curl upwards. A glint appeared into her eyes. "Really."

"Really," Noel stated. He took a sip of water. One droplet trickled down his chin. His tongue darted out to stop it. Noel watched Aria watching him do just that and grinned, satisfied with her reaction. "I want to kiss you."

Aria liked her privacy. She really did. Although she could enjoy chaste kisses in public, going at it in the middle of a restaurant, no matter how empty that said restaurant might be, was something she didn't do. When Noel leaned in over their table, however, there was one factor that played a slightly bigger role: Ezra Fitz was in the room and he would be able to see every single detail.

If that wouldn't make him jealous, what would?

Aria blocked Ezra's presence out of her mind entirely and focused solely on Noel's lips. His face moved closer, only inches away from hers, when she closed the distance.

Aria was disappointed to find Noel's kiss didn't stop her world like Ezra's kiss had. The kiss didn't consume her, but it kept her occupied and she still managed to enjoy it. She let Noel's lips move over hers for a moment longer, before she pulled back. She was relieved to see none of the staff had come over to scold at them for their public display of affection. One waitress gave them a very pointed stare, however, and Aria looked down at her food, stifling an embarrassed chuckle.

Noel's voice made her look up.

"Well, he's definitely looking at us now," Noel said, looking over his shoulder. Aria's eyes snapped in Ezra's direction. He looked positively infuriated, abrasiveness evident in his eyes, and Aria took it as a sign that he'd seen the whole damn thing.

* * *

><p>Ezra had thought turning his back towards Aria when sitting down was a smart move, but he soon found out it was the absolute opposite—he couldn't keep an eye on her this way and he was filled with constant wondering as to whether or not she was looking at him. It took him approximately two minutes before he repositioned his chair in an angle that granted him the ability to inconspicuously study Aria while he ate.<p>

Ezra and Daphne had decided to order seafood.

Ezra had once read that oysters are subjected to sex change from a male to a female several times during their lifetime. For no apparent reason, he still thought it would be a good idea to order oysters, and he now had a plate with the sea creatures on it in front of him. He'd never tried them before and he was kind of afraid to—just seeing the food ruined his appetite.

He was about to lift his fork to try and take a tentative first bite—or were you supposed to eat them in another way?—when something caught his eye. Or rather someone.

Aria.

He watched as she inappropriately leaned over her table to kiss who Ezra now assumed to be her boyfriend. He couldn't drag his eyes away as she eagerly responded to his lips, but an immense relief washed over him as they broke apart. When Noel's head turned to look at him, he quickly snapped out of it and turned back to his own date.

Daphne had ordered a California roll, but she had no idea how to use chopsticks. Ezra watched her clumsy attempts to lift the food from her plate with an amused expression on his face—she was too focused on her task to notice he had been distracted by Aria and was now staring at her.

"Slippery, eh?" Ezra chuckled.

Daphne looked up quickly, like she'd forgotten he was there for the shortest amount of time. Her cheeks turned a delightful pink.

"Do you think I can ask for a knife and fork?" she whispered urgently. She looked a little defeated and more than ready to give up.

Ezra laughed. "I know how to use chopsticks."

He motioned for Daphne to hand them to him and she did. He tried to lift a piece of food, but it fell back on the plate again.

"Impressive," Daphne said with a nod, trying not to laugh.

"This really is slippery food," Ezra mumbled. He tried again and this time succeeded in expertly lifting a piece of the California roll. He fed it to his date, who chewed on it before swallowing.

"I can teach you in ninety seconds."

Daphne's eyes widened and she shook her head disbelievingly. "It can't be that easy."

"It is," Ezra said. "Once you've gotten the hang of it," he added. "Do you want me to teach you?"

Daphne's face lit up and she shot him a grateful smile. "That'd be great."

"Okay. Hold up your hand."

Daphne complied, handing Ezra her right hand. He readjusted her fingers in the right position for her to hold the bottom chopstick, his finger softly brushing against her hand. Her pinky and the crook between her thumb and index finger supported the weight of the first chopstick.

"Now just apply pressure with your thumb," Ezra instructed, helping her do it. He met her eyes in the process and she smiled. He smiled back, before focusing on her hand again. He handed her the second chopstick, placing it between her middle and index finger.

"All done," Ezra said, looking up from her hand once again. His eyes automatically landed on Aria and he was a little surprised to find her looking at him. The feelings his exchange with Daphne had stirred up disappeared. What was Aria making of this? Ezra realized he needed to do something before this was going to cascade into a crusade to make the other jealous. He motioned with his head to the bathroom.

Aria responded with the tiniest nod. She said something to Noel, before she made her way to the girls' bathroom. Ezra watched after her, momentarily distracted by the sway of her hips.

"Great," Daphne's voice rang out, shaking him out of it. She studied her hand for a moment and then looked up at Ezra. "Now I'm holding them. But how do I eat with them?"

Ezra forced himself to answer before going after Aria to make sure there would be an appropriate amount of time in between the two of them leaving.

"Keep the bottom part still. Move the top part by applying pressure," Ezra instructed, helping her move the sticks. "And start eating."

Daphne looked up at him with uncertainty in her eyes. "Here it goes."

She tried to lift her food and she achieved this on her third try. Ezra cheered as she took the bite and she laughed triumphantly.

"Now I didn't time you, but..."

Only now Ezra dared to say he had to go to the bathroom. She excused him, but told him to hurry.

Ezra stood and strode to ladies' room. He stopped short in front of the door, however, and hesitated, unsure if he should enter that particular sacred ground. He took a deep breath, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching him, and entered through the door. Aria was standing in the middle of the room, her petite frame reflected by several mirrors. She had been waiting for him. Fortunately, no one else was there.

Ezra didn't waste any time on any pleasantries.

"I know what you're doing," he simply said, halting in front of Aria so close their toes were almost touching. "And you need to stop."

He was pissed and the knowing smirk in Aria's eyes only enraged him further. But Aria innocently blinked up at him, denying and confirming nothing. Neither of them said anything for a moment and Aria worriedly bit her bottom lip. Ezra refused to notice this.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Aria finally said. In that moment, Aria wanted him to kiss her so badly. More than she'd even wanted anyone to. But he didn't.

"So you weren't kissing your boyfriend in the middle of a restaurant to make me jealous?"

Aria's eyes widened at his bluntness and redness crept up her neck. She seemed generally stunned for the first time this evening.

"Noel's not my boyfriend," Aria said. This wasn't a lie. They were currently on their second date, and although they'd kissed, they'd never agreed to be exclusive yet.

Ezra laughed incredulously. "Really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "That's the part you decide to focus to?"

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Aria shot back. She had to stop herself from shaking. "I'm sorry?" She met his eyes. "Because I'm not. If it worked."

_Which it did._

"I don't want you to say anything. I just want you to stop doing what you're doing and focus on your own fucking date," Ezra yell-whispered. "Mine was just going well."

Aria let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I noticed."

Aria's bitterness made him pause. He didn't want to feel her like this. Hell, he wished the circumstances were different and he could date her right now. But he simply couldn't. He couldn't tell Aria he was disappointed when he found out his date didn't wear the colorful nail polish Aria usually wore. He couldn't tell Aria he missed her remarks during this dinner tonight. He couldn't tell Aria he wished it was her sitting right across for him.

All he _could _do was turn around and exit the bathroom, leaving Aria standing there by herself.

* * *

><p>Aria managed to get through the remainder of her date with Noel without looking in Ezra's direction once. Because of this, she had no idea if he was returning the favor, but she imagined he was. Noel didn't seem to notice anything was wrong when Aria returned from the bathroom after a reasonable amount of time, and she was relieved.<p>

Ezra's words had slightly crushed Aria's hope, but she also realized what she should be doing—dating Noel. And sometimes what you wanted to do, should do and were going to do were not the same thing.

"We need to talk."

Aria and Noel were currently seated in Noel's car. He'd parked the car at the side of the road on the small corner Aria had told him to park. Her former house was within walking distance, but her own parked car as well.

"Hm, we've talked all night," Noel chuckled. The serious tone lacing through Aria's voice hadn't registered with him yet and he had something a little different in mind than talking. He brushed a few stranded tendrils of hair out of Aria's face.

Aria grabbed his hand, stopping him, and lowered it.

"Noel."

That one word caught his attention. Or at least the tone it was said in. Noel let his head fall backwards against the headrest of his car seat and groaned. "You're breaking up with me," he stated.

Aria decided this probably wasn't a good time to point out they hadn't really been a couple to begin with, so they couldn't exactly break up.

"I'm sorry," she said instead.

Noel shook his head. "It's not your fault." He turned his head slightly so he could look at her. "But I have to know… Was it something I did?"

Aria's heart broke a little when she saw the confused expression on his face. And maybe this decision _was _really sudden, especially because their date had been fun. Awkward, because Ezra was there, but fun nonetheless.

"As cliché as it may sound, it really is me," Aria said. "I—I think I have feelings for someone else."

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><p><strong>AN: **Please review! :)


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Hi.

Kim: I'm not sure how many chapters this story will be yet. I haven't planned that far ahead. ;)

**Disclaimer: **Same as always.

* * *

><p>At the end of Wednesday's AP English class taught by Mr. Fitz, Aria made her way to the exit. Hanna was walking not too far behind, curious as to why Aria always seemed to have a little chat with her English teacher when the class was already over, and worried about what she'd witnessed the day before. Aria wasn't lingering to talk, however—she didn't want to make her friends any more suspicious than they already were.<p>

As always, Ezra had other ideas.

"We need to talk," he whispered in Aria's ear when she walked past him.

She didn't even look in his direction in acknowledgement. "Don't count on it," was her reply. She continued walking, but his voice rang out only a mere second later to stop her.

"Aria."

Aria's footsteps faltered as she came to a halt.

Not everyone had left yet, but it didn't matter; Ezra intended to talk about the upcoming trip to New York City and nothing else. At the beginning of his class, Aria had handed him her admission slip. Ezra wasn't surprised she had changed her mind—he had more or less expected it. There was only one problem: she had no parental signature that gave her permission to tag along and they both knew why the signature wasn't there.

Aria studied Ezra during the short walk to his desk, calculating what her next move should be. Ezra glanced at the students that were still milling around, and lowered his voice.

"I need your parents' signature," Ezra told Aria quietly, meeting her eyes. Aria had been kind of hoping to talk about that to him during breakfast, but he'd already left when she arrived in the kitchen. After she'd turned the admission slip in, she'd just prayed nobody would notice the missing scrabble of a pen.

"I called my parents and they said it was fine," Aria replied in an equally hushed voice. In fact, her parents had been pretty excited about the idea, because Aria usually didn't let others read her written material—Aria wrote for herself and she didn't want that to change. "Can't you arrange something?"

Ezra sighed and rubbed his temples. What was he supposed to do in a situation like this? He took in Aria's hopeful expression and looked her straight in the eye, crossing his arms over his chest. She didn't fidget under his stare. Instead, she turned the pleading look in her eyes up a notch. Finally, Ezra gave in with another sigh.

"I guess it will be fine if we can call your parents and have them to confirm that," Ezra said. "Let me talk to Mrs. Welch about it."

"Okay," Aria said with a grateful nod. She was going to take whatever she could get. "Thank you."

"Very well then," was Ezra's reply. He motioned to the door. "That was all."

Aria was more than happy to oblige his silent wish and leave the classroom. She hurried out of the room as fast as she could. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand touched her shoulder. When she turned around, she found the hand belonged to one of her friends. Hanna's eyes were impenetrable, but she looked determined—determined to find out what had happened yesterday.

"We need to talk."

Aria groaned inwardly—like she always did when she heard those words. People always needed to talk to her about something serious. More often than not, it was Ezra Fitz. Now that he'd actually discussed a normal topic with Aria, Hanna was apparently more than eager to take over his duty for the day. Hanna gently grabbed Aria's wrist and Aria allowed her friend to drag her to a deserted corner in the hallway.

"What happened yesterday?"

It was a simple question, yet one that was hard to answer. Aria hadn't thought about the explanation she was going to give Hanna yet. She figured, "He's my roommate," wouldn't go over all too well. "He kissed me," or, "I kissed him," would create even more turmoil.

"I don't want to talk about it," Aria said instead, her voice flat and carefully controlled, brushing off the subject. Her hands curled up in fists, her fingernails bruising the skin of her palm. Her stomach filled with knots at the realization she didn't have anything she could say to Hanna. Aria decided it was better to avoid the topic whilst she was conjuring up a believable lie, but Hanna was nothing if not persistent.

"I'm just worried," Hanna prompted. Aria could see it in her eyes, too.

"Don't be—I'm fine, really." Aria tried to say this with as much conviction as possible, not just trying to convince Hanna, but trying to convince herself as well in the process. She still didn't know where the tears had come from yesterday, but they'd come about very suddenly.

"I've never seen you cry before," Hanna mumbled. Her brows were furrowed in concern. "Except when Alison died. Which is why I'm worried something is really wrong."

"I—"

The school bell rang, signaling that the five minutes they had in between periods to get books was over, and they were now officially late for second period. With painstaking effort, Aria shrugged and sauntered off.

Saved by the bell.

* * *

><p>Ezra Fitz wasn't an unsocial creature—he liked the company of other human beings. But, sometimes, he preferred to spend some time by himself, to think and to evaluate everything that was going on in his life. And this time, he had a lot to evaluate; Aria, that was who it all came down to. He was living with her, so he could hardly escape her. Yet, he felt like they hadn't talked much since their second kiss.<p>

At home, he didn't get time to think, so that's what he sacrificed his lunch break for. Instead of joining his colleagues in the cafeteria, he stayed in his classroom, seated behind his desk.

Not being bothered, however, was perhaps too much to ask for. Barely two minutes had passed when there was a knock on his door. For a brief, wonderful second, he thought and hoped it was Aria. Instead, it was the blonde Aria had befriended, Hanna. When she saw she'd gained Ezra's attention with her tentative knock, the door opened and she burst into the room.

"Hanna," Ezra said. He shuffled some of the papers on his desk, trying to look professional and like he'd been actually doing something, rather than staring into the empty space of his classroom. "What can I do for you?"

Hanna closed the door behind her and quickly walked to his desk. She looked even more uncomfortable than he was, if that was even possible. She nervously glanced over her shoulder, before she turned her attention solely on her English teacher.

"Aria was crying when I walked in yesterday," she said.

Ezra's spine stiffened and he cleared his throat. Did Hanna think he was the reason she was crying? For a brief moment, Ezra considered if he was. "She was."

"I'm worried about her," Hanna continued. "But she won't tell me what's wrong. I was wondering if you know what's going on with her."

Ezra didn't know how to respond and simply looked at Hanna for a moment. Hanna waited for a couple beats, but then grew impatient.

"So do you?" Hanna pressed. "Know what's going on with her?"

"Even if I _do _know, I can't give that information to any student who asks for it," Ezra said. "I'm sorry, but if you want to know, Aria's going to have to be the one to tell you."

* * *

><p>Ezra came home at 7 PM, after having dinner with one of his former classmates. Aria was sprawled out on the couch with a book and Lucian was nowhere to be seen, probably headed off to his girlfriend's apartment again or hiding in his room. Aria looked up from the noise Ezra made during his big entrance and, to Ezra's surprise, gave him a shy smile.<p>

"Hey," he said on his guard. He awaited her response to see where they stood.

"Hey," Aria replied.

Ezra decided she said the word friendly enough, which meant they were probably on reasonable terms according to her. He decided to just go along with it—there was no reason to make things even harder than they already were at Kenneth. Besides, he could forgive her for what she'd done yesterday night in the restaurant—what she'd done was perhaps a little childish, but it was also kind of flattering.

Ezra went to his room and shrugged his jacket off. He grabbed _The King's Speech _from his movie collection and returned to the living room. Aria was completely engulfed in her book again. Ezra nudged her with his foot, causing her to look up.

"Do you want to watch this?" he asked her. He held up the DVD and Aria studied the cover, reading the title. She clearly recognized the movie, because she literally laughed in his face.

"That movie's really boring—it won an Oscar," was Aria's response.

Ezra's eyebrows shot up and he let out an incredulous laugh. "Actually, it won four."

"That doesn't make it any better," Aria said. Her eyes stayed glued to the page she was reading, not interested in looking up.

"You _do_ know what an Oscar is, right?" Ezra asked her, just to be sure.

Aria scoffed. "Of course I do."

"Well, the movie having won an Oscar isn't really a valid reason for it being boring," Ezra tried to reason with Aria. He tried to remember any Oscar-winning movies he'd seen that proved her theory wrong, but he didn't have a title ready at the tip of his tongue.

Aria sighed and met his eyes. "You go ahead and watch it if you don't believe me," she said with a shrug. She placed the book on the coffee table in front of her and stood. She walked toward the kitchen, looking over her shoulder at Ezra whilst doing so. "I'll be here, ready to say I told you so."

She opened a kitchen cabinet and grabbed a glass. She filled it with water and emptied it in three big gulps without pausing for breath. She refilled it and looked at Ezra. "Do you want anything?"

Ezra shook his head, so Aria took the glass with her and walked back to the couch. She plopped down next to Ezra. He looked genuinely torn over the decision as to whether to watch the movie or not, so Aria decided to help him out a little.

"How about a bet?" Aria proposed. "We watch the movie and if you can honestly say you like it afterwards, you win. If you can't, I win."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Ezra's mouth. "I don't think our bets work out all that well. You still haven't done any of my laundry."

Aria nearly choked on her water. "You mean you actually finished those pages?"

Ezra nodded. Reading _Twilight _had been strangely soothing when he had to wait for Hardy to yell at him for kissing Aria, after running into Hardy and Melissa at the library. Ezra had read well past those fifty pages in the two hours of time it took for Hardy to show up, and Ezra had finished the book the following day—an escapist story was what he'd needed, no matter how cheesy it was.

"You owe me a week's worth of laundry," Ezra stated.

Aria blinked. "You really want me to do your laundry?" she asked him.

A glint appeared in Ezra's eyes. "Of course I do. I'll drop my next load off by your—"

He was interrupted by a firm knock. Aria and Ezra looked at each other. There were only two people likely to be on the other side of the door: Hardy or Lucian. Aria stood and walked to the door. She twisted the knob and opened it.

Aria's jaw hit the floor. An embarrassing gasp escaped her throat when she saw Spencer, Emily and Hanna standing on the other side of the threshold.

"What—What are you guys doing here?" Aria stammered. She quickly blocked the entrance and closed the door as far as possible, peeking at her friends though a small gap.

"Hanna called us for an intervention," Spencer announced.

"You are _not _very popular around here," Hanna added. "Nobody knows who you are."

Aria was on perfectly good terms with everyone living at Kenneth. They waved when she walked by and she waved back with a ready smile on her face. That was about as much social interaction she needed with the college students.

"You asked people about me?" Aria asked.

Emily shrugged. "Well, how else were we supposed to find out on what floor we needed to be?"

"Are you going to let us in?" Spencer demanded to know. She didn't give Aria a chance to reply. She pushed the door open further and barged in without an invitation to do so. Aria turned around just in time to see Ezra dive behind the couch as a hiding spot.

Well, crap.

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><p><strong>AN: **Cliffhanger. Sorry about that. Please review. :)


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **Hi! Thanks for all the reviews. :)

**Disclaimer: **Ha, I wish!

* * *

><p>There was a long, fraught silence as Aria's friends carefully examined the room, their eyes studying every little detail they could lay their eyes on. Ezra Fitz was crouched behind the couch, paralyzed with fear and as rigid as a statue—he didn't dare move an inch. Aria was more than a little shocked Spencer had actually shown the audacity to show up on her doorstep after Aria had specifically told her not to—with Hanna and Emily in tow, no less.<p>

"You have some explaining to do."

This came from Hanna after she'd gathered enough guts to break the quiet, during which nothing much happened at all. Aria took a moment to contemplate that, fighting the urge to constantly look in the direction of the couch Ezra was hiding behind. Hanna was giving Aria a level look, waiting for her to reply. Emily was doing the same, whereas Spencer was still curiously studying her surroundings—either because she was very interested in what her living arrangements could look like if she decided to go to Hollis, instead of one of the Ivy League schools she'd applied to, or because she wanted to avoid Aria's admonishing glare.

"Guys, I understand where you're coming from," Aria tried calmly. "But I really am fine."

The attempt was feeble—even Aria had a hard time believing herself.

"So _that's _why you were crying on Mr. Fitz' shoulder yesterday," Hanna remarked, like Aria had given her all the answers in the world. She gave her friend a skeptical look that said, "Cut the crap," causing Aria to sigh. She should be grateful she had friends that looked out for her, but in this particular case their help was unwanted. Aria just wanted them to leave Kenneth Hall.

Quickly and quietly. Right now.

"Why don't we get a drink somewhere and I'll explain?" Aria suggested. She had no idea how she was going to find a sufficient explanation, but she knew she sure as hell wasn't going to find one here, with Ezra a mere couple feet away. She was already making motions for the door, but the other girls were reluctant to move.

"Why don't we stay here instead and you give us a drink for free?" Spencer countered without missing a beat, turning down Aria's suggestion. Spencer glanced over her shoulder at the closed doors, wanting to know if they could talk privately. "Is your roommate here?"

Aria prepared herself to lie, but Emily responded quicker than she could.

"You have a roommate?"

Emily's eyes widened slightly, but she looked only mildly surprised—Spencer must have filled Emily and Hanna in on everything, and Emily was doing a very poor job of feigning to be in the dark. Spencer, however, didn't know how much there was that she didn't know about.

"Actually, I have two."

Aria's friends blinked in astonishment, but Hanna got over it pretty quickly.

"Anyone we know?" she asked. Rosewood was a small town with not much more to do than stare at trees or talk to the people living there. The low number of citizens resulted in everyone knowing almost everyone.

"They're in college, Han," Aria said. Well, at least one of them was. "You don't know them."

"But _you _clearly do know one of them from a little more up-close," Spencer muttered, openly referring to the kiss Aria had mentioned during their distressing phone call on Monday. Spencer had been meaning to talk to Aria about that, but hadn't gotten around to actually doing it. Aria had thought it would be nice to vent to someone who wasn't directly involved in the affairs going on in her life, but she realized quickly enough that Spencer wasn't a very big help if she didn't know all the details—after that realization struck, Aria had been unwilling to give up any more additional information.

Ezra was holding his breath—his heart beating rapidly in his chest—and stretching his ears, trying to distinguish the words that were being said. Not surprisingly, he could hear everything without too much trouble. He was relieved the first, or perhaps second, lie Aria had told since her friends had entered came over her lips so smoothly. He was a little uncomfortable with the fact that Aria had confided in a friend about their kiss, although it was already clear to him that Aria's friends didn't know he was the roommate they were talking about.

"Spence!" Aria exclaimed. She scoffed, obviously infuriated. A blush colored her cheeks. Hanna and Emily just looked really confused, so perhaps Spencer had left _some_ details out whilst filling them in after all.

"What is she talki—," Emily started to ask, her eyes darting back and forth between Aria and Spencer. Aria was looking off in another direction, and Spencer was staring at an indistinct spot on the carpeted floor. Her head snapped up when she spoke, however.

"They kissed," Spencer interrupted Emily before she could finish. "He kissed her."

Hanna's countenance relaxed into a grin. "Your roommate's male?"

Spencer had _definitely _left some details out whilst filling Hanna and Emily in. Now, Spencer looked thoughtful. She recalled Noel Kahn telling her during lunch break that Aria blew him off—not in so many words, but she could read between the lines. On one level of her brain, Spencer had puzzled over this—Aria had been waiting for the day Noel Kahn would become interested in dating her her whole life. As the day had progressed, however, Spencer thought she might have found a reasonable explanation.

"Your roommate's the reason you broke things off with Noel, isn't he?"

Spencer was only guessing, but she was accurate—she could tell by Aria's face. Behind the couch, Ezra's eyebrows rose, and Aria shifted uncomfortably with the knowledge that Ezra was hearing every single word that was said in this room.

"I—I don't know," Aria said truthfully, briefly closing her eyes. She was troubled by severe doubts a lot lately. She wasn't sure how to handle the situation with Ezra, and the longer she thought about it, the more doubtful she became.

"Wait," Emily said slowly. "He kissed you and then what happened? You're still living together?"

Aria nodded briefly. "We're still living together."

Emily looked Aria expectantly. "And—"

"And…," Aria mumbled, trying to decide what to say. "We're still living together. We've talked. Things are awkward."

She didn't really know how to describe her encounters with Ezra, but "awkward" was a description that seemed to be eternally fitting. She felt like they were always trying to imitate careless banter, but not quite succeeding. Mostly, they just avoided each other at Kenneth.

"You like him," Hanna said with a tiny smile on her face.

"What? No!" Aria's eyes narrowed at her friend and she shook her head in denial. She chuckled ostentatiously, although she knew Hanna was right. If she was admitting it now, Ezra Fitz would hear it, though. "That's ridiculous."

Hanna stared at Aria, unfazed. "Is it?" she asked her.

A strange smile crossed Aria's face. "I can't like him. It would be wrong."

Spencer, Emily and Hanna shared a worried glance. The sorrow in Aria's words made them pause and reconsider if this thing that was going on between Aria and her roommate was the reason she'd been crying, although they'd initially not necessarily linked those two things together.

"What do you mean, you can't? Why would it be wrong?" Emily asked. "If it feels right, it _is _right."

"Not in this case it isn't," was Aria's reply. She shook her head wistfully. "Just drop it."

Aria was nearly shaking. They couldn't unravel her right now, not with Ezra right there. She was already afraid to face him after he had overheard all this as it was, because he indubitably would have a thing or two to say.

"You're seriously going to share what's going on with Mr. Fitz and not with us?" Hanna asked Aria. Her eyebrows were raised so high they nearly disappeared under her hair line, and she looked slightly offended.

Aria opened her mouth and closed it again.

"I didn't tell him what was going on," she finally said. She really hadn't. In fact, she herself still wasn't sure where the sudden tears had come from the day before. Maybe there wasn't one main source, but just a lot of really small ones.

"Yet he was hugging you when I walked in."

"I guess he did what any uncomfortable English teacher would do when faced with a crying teenage girl—to try and make me stop," Aria said with a shrug.

Hanna wasn't sure if she believed this, but she didn't know what to say in reply. Neither did Spencer or Emily, for that matter. Aria decided to use it as an opening for another attempt to get them to leave.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Aria asked. "I'm really tired."

To Aria's surprise, her friends didn't just consider this, but they also agreed to it. They walked out the door after saying their goodbyes and throwing Aria a couple more worried glances. Aria closed the door behind them, very quietly and deliberately.

"They're gone," Aria announced flatly. Seconds later, Ezra reappeared from behind the couch, flexing his now slightly stiff muscles from the brief minutes he had hidden himself from sight.

"That was close," he said. "Too close."

The expression on his face was unreadable and Aria couldn't bear to look him straight in the eye. She stared at the ground as she heard his footsteps coming closer. He stopped when there was about a feet separating them, and Aria fought the urge to take a step backwards.

"So you don't like me, huh?" Ezra murmured.

Aria's eyes fluttered to the sound of his voice and their gazes locked. Her lips parted, but she was unable to utter any sounds over them. With his eyes, Ezra asked Aria a question they had already answered before—now, the answer had changed. Aria gave a tiny nod and Ezra's intentions became crystal clear when he closed the small distance between them.

It took a moment to register what was happening, but it didn't take long before Aria responded—and when she did, she did so with vigor. Ezra's lips were demanding in contrast to his one hand, which delicately traced Aria's cheekbone. The other rested on her hip. Aria's own hands had disappeared into his short curls, pulling him even closer. They stumbled backwards until Aria bumped into the door, Ezra pressing her up against it.

Aria moaned when Ezra's tongue traced the bottom of lips, enticing her to part them. There was nothing she'd do rather, but she forced herself to pull away. They broke apart, breathing labored, faces flushed, their foreheads still pressed against each other.

"You're kissing me," Aria stated in between panting breaths. "Again."

She restrained herself from attacking his face, which took every ounce of self-restraint she had—his near presence and intoxicating scent were more than a little distracting. Ezra made her breathless and he made her head spin. Instead of pulling away further from him, though, Aria tightened her hold on him.

"I am." A smile curved Ezra's lips. He moved his mouth over her cheekbone to her ear. "Because I want to."

He softly bit down on her earlobe and Aria was grateful the front door was supporting her weight—her knees were actually quaking. She released a shaky breath as her heartbeat sped up. His lips loomed over hers again, but Aria waited until he was an inch away before she spoke.

"Why?"

The question made Ezra take a step backwards, because it required an actual answer he wouldn't be able to give if Aria was pressed up against his body. Aria was studying him carefully. Kissing her was the last thing she'd expected him to do—she'd been more prepared for yelling.

"I want to try to make this work."

Aria blinked. Did he really just say that or was she making it up? He wanted to go out with her? "Going out" being an ambiguous term, because they couldn't be seen in public together and therefore couldn't _really _go out.

"What?" Aria said brilliantly.

Ezra gave her a patient smile. "I want to make this work," he repeated. "I want to make _us _work."

Aria didn't really know what to say. There were a million thoughts racing through her head. A feeling of tentative happiness swirled through her, but she didn't allow herself to do a mental victory dance just yet.

"You're sure?"

Ezra slid his fingers down Aria's arm and grabbed ahold of her hand. "I'm very sure."

He leaned in again and returned his attention to Aria's earlobe. Aria briefly wondered what had him so fascinated with that particular spot. He caused her to shiver.

"What made you change your mind?"

Ezra's paused mid-nibble when Aria asked him the question. His hands stopped exploring Aria's body. Aria could feel his lips move while he answered.

"Just something one of your friends said."

_If it feels right, it _is_ right._

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><p><strong>AN:** The end of the school year is near. School's really busy for me right now, so I'm not sure when my next update will be. I'll try and write something this weekend, though. ;) Please review.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **Here's chapter 19, as promised. :) Thanks for all the reviews!

Sammy: Aria's seventeen in this story and a senior. She spent two years in Iceland instead of one. ;)

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, still not mine. I stole three lines I really like from the first _Pretty Little Liars_ book.

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><p>When Aria woke up the next day, there was a split second where everything felt just like it would have felt any other day—she was in a foul mood, she didn't want to get up yet, and she dreaded the awkward run-in with Ezra she was bound to have during breakfast. But, inevitably, the events of last night came back to her. Aria wasn't proud to admit it, but she panicked.<p>

Was this thing with Ezra going to work? Probably not. Should she call it off and tell him this wasn't a good idea? Yes, she should. Was she going to? Hell no.

Aria paced her bedroom. She picked up a pair of jeans and studied it, trying to remember whether or not she'd already worn it. She threw the jeans dismissively to another location in the room and grabbed a clean dress. Muttering about her own idiocy, she took the piece of clothing with her to the bathroom.

Aria was just finishing blow-drying her hair when there was a knock on her door. Her heart leapt in her chest, knowing it could only be one person. Not unexpectedly, it was Ezra. He was wearing a white button-down shirt and his hair was still damp from the shower. He looked tired, but smiled when he saw her. Then the strangest thing happened—Aria blushed.

"Hey," she said cautiously. "Is everything alright?"

Aria had never seen Ezra look the way he was looking at her now before. That single look turned her insides to mush, whether it was his intention or not. And, as it turned out, it wasn't.

"I wanted to talk to you before school started."

Ezra took Aria with him to the kitchen area. She sat down, but he walked over to the coffee maker he had turned on before knocking on Aria's door. He sloshed some coffee in his cup and looked over his shoulder at Aria questioningly.

"Want some?" he asked her.

Aria shook her head. She was curious as to what Ezra wanted to talk to her about. She also realized, that despite the fact that they were now going out, sort of, she was still just as uncomfortable spending time with him as before they had made that decision. There was definitely some awkwardness left. She wasn't sure what to say, but she really wanted to break the invisible barrier that withheld her from behaving like she normally would. Ezra was the guy for her, and she was the girl for him—she just _knew_ it. So what if he was her teacher? There had to be a way to make it work.

Ezra sat down and poured a small amount of sugar in his coffee. Aria watched with fascination how he did this, and neither of them said anything for a couple beats. It was Ezra who broke the silence.

"This is kinda weird, isn't it?"

Aria chuckled in relief. "Kinda," she agreed with a nod.

Ezra was looking at the coffee mug in his hands. He took a big swallow of his caffeinated fuel and then turned his attention to his female roommate. She was looking a little pale and very stressed-out. Ezra had already learned through trial and error that it was best to avoid awkward silences, so he cut right to the chase.

"I thought we should lay down some ground rules," Ezra announced. He gave her a very level look to show that he meant it. That didn't stop Aria from raising her eyebrows as high as they'd go.

"Ground rules?" she repeated.

Ezra nodded. He knew that dating his high school student/roommate wasn't going to end well if there weren't some rules they could both agree on. Even then, the outcome would be dubitable.

"I think rules are important. This can't affect your grades, for one," Ezra stated.

"Of course," Aria said. This was something that was out of the question and something Aria could agree on without hesitation. She had no trouble earning the high grades she wanted for English. She never had and she never would.

"And we probably shouldn't really…," Ezra said, looking up at Aria from under knitted eyebrows and trying to find a proper way of finishing that sentence, "…do anything but talk outside of Kenneth Hall."

Ezra cupped his hands around his mug, which was already halfway empty, and Aria's mouth instantly went dry. She really wanted to do other things than talking, and that was of course the problem. Pushing a lock of hair out of her eyes, she managed to nod.

"Okay," Ezra said, smiling blandly at Aria. "Good." He nodded as well, looking Aria straight in the eye, and swallowed. "Um, good."

Aria had something to add, and it was something she had meant to address to him yesterday during breakfast. After what happened last night, Aria knew he was going to agree with her.

"I have another one," Aria said. Ezra nodded, bidding Aria to continue. "If you want to talk to me at school, you should probably text me. My friends have already commented on how often you've asked me to stay behind after class during the past two weeks."

Aria watched how Ezra's eyes widened the slightest bit. "Crap. I didn't even think about that."

"I mean, I just told them it was about New York," Aria hastily assured him when she saw his tenseness. "But after a while the excuse isn't going to work anymore."

* * *

><p>During class, Aria had a hard time staying focused. Ezra kept shooting furtive glances in her direction. Aria had never noticed this before, because she usually spent her first period staring at the birds and trees outside and all that crap, but now that she actually paid a little attention, she came to find it was surprisingly distracting. She kept a tight reign on her body—necessary to keep her from doing something stupid, like throw herself in his arms in front of the entire class.<p>

Today's lesson was slightly different than the others had been. Instead of giving a lecture, Ezra gave his class the chance to catch up on their reading. Aria had a copy of Charles Dickens' _David Copperfield _open on her desk. Even when she attempted to read, she could feel Ezra looking at her. The words had become blurry and were making no sense to her. She must've tried to read the same page over and over again for at least seven times, when her phone vibrated.

Aria placed the book on her table with a sigh, eager for a distraction. Aria felt for her phone in her bag and pulled it out.

_Good book?_

Aria raised her eyes to meet Ezra's. To her horror, he was smirking—he'd obviously noticed Aria hadn't turned a page in over ten minutes. She quickly typed a response, placing her phone back on the table within a close range.

_I'm not allowed to text during class, Mr. Fitz._

Aria focused on the book once again. She'd read two sentences when her phone caused a tiny tremor. She opened the new text message, and wasn't unaware of the fact that Ezra was hiding his phone behind the book open on his teacher's desk.

_Rules are overrated. _

Aria chuckled softly, finding it slightly ironic Ezra had gone out of his way to talk to her this morning about the importance of rules. Aria considered not responding, but decided against it, unable to resist the opportunity to talk to him.

_I was told ground rules are important._

Aria watched as Ezra opened her text and read the words she'd sent him. Ezra cracked a smile at her reply and the smile didn't disappear as he furiously tapped some buttons on his touch screen.

_One of them was texting you if I wanted to talk, if I remember correctly. Now how's that book?_

Aria honestly wasn't sure. Everything she'd read was a little fuzzy. Charles Dickens wasn't the most economic writer—his descriptions were very visual and accurate, but he used a lot of words to get them that way. Aria had a tendency to get distracted when books were slightly too detailed. Besides, thanks to Ezra, she was on page 78 and she had been for several minutes now.

_I wouldn't know._

Her phone buzzed with an incoming message a minute later.

_How come?_

He was trying to humor her, no doubt, because he already knew the answer. Ezra leaned back in his chair and gave Aria a searching look. Aria straightened in her chair and had to stifle a giggle. She gave Ezra the most convincing glare she could and sent her response.

_You're distracting me._

Ezra was putting her whole body on edge and looking at him over a desk was simply torture. Aria dug her nails in the wood grain of her desk, like the act was going to help improve her current situation. Only the remainder of the school year to look forward to.

* * *

><p>Class was torture, but fortunately it was one with an expiration date. Aria had never been so relieved before to hear the school bell chime, except maybe on that very first day of the school year. She didn't see Ezra again until lunch break. She had paused to go to her locker, because everyone usually did that after they ate and she wanted to avoid the masses. She was just heading for the cafeteria when Ezra came out of nowhere. He grabbed Aria's hand and dragged her with him without saying a word.<p>

Aria gulped in surprise and worriedly glanced around, but the few people still milling around didn't seem to pay any attention to them. Only a matter of seconds had passed when Ezra took her to a deserted corner of the hallway and opened a door Aria had never opened before. Before Aria could protest, he had already pushed her into the supply closet and closed the door behind them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Aria hissed. A pitch-black darkness surrounded them and Ezra used his hands to navigate his way to the light switch. Or at least he tried to. After a brief attempt, he gave up. He could feel Aria a couple inches away from him and there was barely enough room for the two of them in the small, enclosed space.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Ezra whispered. His lips traced a path down her neck and he heard Aria's breath hitch at the back of her throat. His hands went to her waist and Aria slightly leaned into his touch.

"Really?" Aria asked him. Her voice was a tad bit hoarse, which pleased Ezra to no end. She swallowed and winced when she heard how loud it sounded in the quiet room—the walls of the supply closet were successfully drowning out all the sounds coming from the hallway.

Ezra didn't respond with words, but his nose nuzzled the crook of her neck as he nodded. Class had been torture for him. The truth was he and Aria needed to get this out of their systems and the brief kiss they'd shared last night had not nearly been enough. Ezra realized Aria was seventeen and she might not be ready to have sex with him yet, but he also knew she was probably just as frustrated as he was right now and was ready for a little more.

Aria didn't stop him when his hands started moving, exploring her body. Her eyes closed when he trailed a path of kisses up her neck to her mouth. They flew open again as she heard someone yelling in the hallway, though—the person yelling wasn't really related to what they were doing, but it reminded Aria that they were, in fact, in a supply closet at school.

"Ezra, this is wrong," Aria mumbled. She didn't sound as stern as she had intended to, and Ezra dismissed her concerns by doing something with his hands that took her breath away. Her heart was pounding against her skin and Aria restrained herself from moving against him.

"We're at school," Aria whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. Their breathing was getting faster and Aria's pulse was racing in excitement. Her arms circled his waist as she met his mouth. Their hands were crawling up each other's backs. When Ezra tried to deepen the kiss, Aria pulled back—not unlike what she'd done last night.

"Our rules—"

"Rules are overrated," Ezra told her, repeating the words from his earlier text message.

"But—"

Aria's protests weakened with each touch of his hand and each whisper of his breath on her skin. When Ezra's mouth crashed against hers, he successfully shut her up. A moan escaped her lips while Ezra's fingers laced in her hair. She tentatively parted her mouth as Ezra's tongue met with hers.

Ezra had no idea how much time had passed when they broke apart. It felt like minutes, yet at the same time it felt like seconds. He could feel Aria's labored breathing on his face.

"Did you take me here just to do that?" Aria asked him with a wry twist of her mouth. As much as she wanted to, there wasn't going to be a repetition of this—she was going to make sure of that. This was exactly the kind of reckless behavior they shouldn't subject to, especially at school.

"No," Ezra admitted. "I have some good news and I wanted to deliver it in person."

Aria waited for more, but nothing came, and she realized Ezra was waiting for her to respond first. "Well, what is it?" she asked him.

Ezra gave Aria a grin she couldn't see in the dark. "You can go to New York."

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><p><strong>AN: **Please review! :)


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all the reviews. They made me smile. :) I'm not sure whether or not Aria has her own car in the TV series. I think she just borrows her parents' cars. But for the sake of this story, she does have one. A black one.

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine.

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><p>By the time Aria got home, Ezra had already been there for an hour and a half. He was taking up Aria's usual spot on the couch with a copy of one of his favorite books in his hands. He looked up as Aria stumbled into the apartment, carrying more groceries than her tiny body could hold. Before Ezra could offer to help her, however, Aria had already raced to the kitchen and placed the items on the counter.<p>

"Hey," Aria said. She gave him a radiant smile.

"Hey," Ezra replied. He nodded awkwardly and Ezra didn't know whether to focus on his book or the amazing girl that just walked in. Frankly, he wasn't sure how to progress. At school, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Aria. Now that he actually had the chance to spend some time in her presence, he didn't know where to start or what to say. Fortunately, Aria made the decision for him as she collapsed next to him on the couch. Ezra pretended not to notice she chose the corner farthest away from him.

"Do you want to do something with me tonight?" Aria asked him.

Ezra thought she almost seemed shy as she formulated the question into words and it was a side of Aria he hadn't really seen before—Aria had been either uncomfortable or really straightforward and open, but never shy. Ezra didn't want to turn her down, but he knew he had to.

"I'm sorry. I can't," Ezra said. "I told you I have to go to the meeting about this weekend, remember?"

Aria responded with a look of utter confusion—not the look Ezra had been hoping for. Her eyebrows twitched and she frowned. "What's this weekend?"

When Mrs. Welch had told Ezra on Monday morning that Rosewood's local high school got to participate in a writing competition in New York, which would be held during _a _weekend, Ezra had assumed the writing competition was going to be held during _a _weekend. It had taken Mrs. Welch up until this morning—right before his first class—to inform Ezra that that particular weekend was the one that started the day after tomorrow.

"New York," Ezra said, giving Aria a funny look. "Didn't you listen to anything I said in class today?"

Aria's blush started at her hairline and went all the way down to her toes. "O—Of course I did," Aria uttered quickly. "But…"

It was a lie. It was a terrible lie and Ezra saw right through it.

"You didn't," he said with a chuckle, sounding remarkably unbothered.

"Yes, I did," Aria disagreed, aiming for offense. Although she usually listened to every word the man said during class, even when she was focusing on the boring view of Rosewood through the window of his classroom, she'd apparently missed some very important details of this morning's English class. Despite her resolve to pay more attention.

Aria lying about it didn't really help her case, though, which is why Ezra went on like Aria had never interrupted him. "You didn't, so I'll tell you right now that we're leaving tomorrow afternoon at 5 PM. And I have to be at school at…," Ezra said. He glanced at his watch. "Right now. Crap."

Ezra got up with inhuman speed, but paused to stretch his muscles, his T-shirt riding up and revealing a small part of his well-defined stomach. Aria looked down at the frayed hem of her dress and fumbled with the material, knowing he was smiling down at her. She took a deep breath, before she rose as well. He was still smiling. She wished she had the guts to kiss the upturned corners of his mouth, but instead she just weakly returned his smile.

"You're going to leave me here, aren't you?" Aria muttered. She restrained herself from pouting.

"Sorry," Ezra said apologetically. He put his arms around Aria's waist and pulled her against his body. "But I know one thing you can do…"

"Really?" Aria said without thinking, leaning into his touch. "And what is that?"

Ezra grinned. "My laundry."

* * *

><p>"Okay, try again," Ezra instructed the following day.<p>

The hood of Aria's car was propped open in the parking lot of Kenneth Hall. Aria was behind the steering wheel with the car door open, and Ezra had made a tiny adjustment that was intended to fix the problem: Aria's car wouldn't start. Unfortunately, he had absolutely no knowledge of mechanical engines whatsoever and therefore didn't have a clue what he was doing.

"Alright," Aria said hesitantly. She hadn't set her hopes all that high. She turned the key in the ignition. For the briefest of seconds the engine caught and spurred to life, but Aria and Ezra barely had time to cheer before it died down again.

"Okay," Ezra said slowly. His hand was up in his hair in a frustrated manner as he tried to think of a solution. He looked more than a little exasperated. "Maybe it's not the engine. Maybe it's… something else."

He sounded hesitant.

"You have no idea how to fix this, do you?" Aria asked him. A smile curved her lips. It was obvious Ezra didn't know what he was doing, but she thought it was cute he was trying to be her hero nonetheless.

"I really, _really_ don't," Ezra admitted with that boyish grin of his. He felt a little stupid and inept, but he was ready to give up. He had come to terms with the fact that cars were not his thing a long time ago—the English language was.

"Well, thanks for trying anyway," Aria said. She removed the key from the ignition and got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. The weekend bag she'd packed, and managed to limit to a reasonable size, was still waiting for her on the curb. Now all Aria had to do was to persuade Ezra into giving her a ride, but it turned out no coaxing was necessary—Ezra offered.

"You're welcome," he said. "And I _can_ actually help you in some way, because it looks like you need a ride."

Aria took him up on his offer and put her bag in Ezra's trunk. They had both packed the day before and had gone straight home after their last classes of the day. They'd done all of this to ensure they wouldn't be late, but little did they know they should have been worried about warming up the engine, instead of what items to bring for the weekend.

Ezra broke several speed limits, but he managed to get to the corner he had dropped Aria off once before in five minutes, cutting his usual travel time in half. He courteously helped Aria get her bag from his trunk, before he accelerated his car and headed for the school parking lot.

* * *

><p>"Jesus!" Spencer clutched her hand to her chest, her heart beating furiously. "You scared the crap out of me!"<p>

Noel Kahn had appeared out of nowhere and stood now next to her in the school parking lot, grinning at Spencer. She quickly straightened up and recomposed herself, trying not to look as surprised as she felt. She was a little curious what Noel was doing on school grounds after school hours, though, especially because he wasn't coming to New York, so she asked him.

"Tutor session," was his simple reply. He casually looked around. "Is Aria here yet?"

Nine people were waiting in the school parking lot with their weekend bags packed and ready to go. Only two people were missing: Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz.

Initially, twenty juniors and seniors had signed up for the writing competition. The last-minute announcement of the exact date, however, led to eight people cancelling, which was to be expected. Because the trip was going to be funded by the school (except for meals), the English department had decided that the stories entering in the competition were going to be graded—this led to three other students backing out, who'd been hoping for a free trip to New York City. Two teachers were joining the students as their supervision, and this brought the group to a total of eleven members.

Noel was patiently, but impolitely, staring at Spencer, waiting for her to say something. She shook her head. "No, we're still waiting on her. I just got a text from her saying she's on her way, though."

It was a little strange to be at school at such an unusual time. Other than a twelve passenger van and ten people with lots of bags, the parking lot was deserted. The school building was locked and closed up, the windows eerily dark. Street lights were already on, although the sun had yet to disappear behind the horizon. Everyone noticed the silver Toyota Camry as soon as it came in to view.

"Speaking of the devil," Noel muttered.

Spencer turned to look at him questioningly, and then followed the direction of his gaze. He was staring at the silver car intently. Was he talking about Aria? Spencer had seen Aria's car on numerous occasions in the past, and she knew that wasn't it.

"That's not Aria's car," Spencer said, frowning.

The driver parked the car and cut the engine. Sure enough, Ezra Fitz came out of the vehicle, toting a weekend bag with him over his shoulder. He locked the car and walked in their direction, profusely apologizing for his late arrival.

"Hmm," Noel said. He was frowning as well now, before he shrugged. "I could have sworn I saw Aria drive that car."

Spencer chuckled. "Well, Aria's car is black, for one."

"Oh," Noel murmured. But then he remembered—Aria had said she had borrowed it from a friend. "I guess I'm confusing this car with another one."

* * *

><p>Ezra plastered a big smile on his face as he walked to the small group of people clustering together in front of Rosewood High School. It took him exactly three seconds to notice Mrs. Welch wasn't there. It took him another three seconds to notice she'd been substituted by someone he'd never met before, Anna Mendoza. Mrs. Welch had told Ezra someone else would be joining him on the trip, but he hadn't known who it was going to be up until the point he saw Anna. She looked nice enough and not that much older than he. Twenty-five-ish, if he had to guess. She immediately walked towards him, extending her hand and introducing herself.<p>

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Ezra said, taking her hand and shaking it. "I'm Ezra Fitz, the new English teacher. I had some… car trouble."

Anna waved his apology away. "Don't worry about it. We're still waiting on one more student."

"Yeah, I think I saw her. She should be here soon."

Aria showed up a couple minutes later. She had held everyone up for fifteen minutes by now and arrived to a round of sarcastic applause. A stern warning from Anna not to show up late again followed. Ezra observed this all like it was the most amusing thing he'd seen all year. Aria forgave him for it as he helped her stuff her bag into the back of the van. By 5.30 PM, they were finally on their way to New York, albeit half an hour late, the I-96 N strechting out in front of them.

The drive from Rosewood to New York was a little over two hours. Two hours aren't that long, but they can be when you're stuck in a van with too many people. Ezra and Anna occupied the two seats in the front, with Ezra behind the wheel, and he discovered she was actually a math teacher who had volunteered to go on this trip—she loved New York. Aria was squeezed in between Spencer and a senior named Brian. She spent most of the two hours trying to ignore Ezra talking to the pretty math teacher and making small talk with Spencer and Brian.

They arrived at the hotel at 8 PM, after an impossible search for a spot where they could park their twelve passengers van. Ezra and Anna checked them all in and returned with five room keys. Both teachers had a private room. Aria and Spencer shared a room with the only other girl in the group, a quiet junior named Kelly. The six remaining guys were split into two groups of three and got the other two rooms. The plan was to drop the bags in those rooms and then go out for a dinner with the entire group. Spencer went to Ezra and got their room key. She returned with a grim look on her face.

"We're on the seventh floor," Spencer announced. "What do you want to hear first; the good news or the bad news?"

Aria raised her eyebrows. "That wasn't the bad news?" she enquired.

"Nope," Spencer said with a grimace. "The good news is that there's an elevator. The bad news is that it's currently out of order."

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><p><strong>AN: **I decided to end this chapter here, because it was getting too long. Please review! :)


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **Hi. A new episode tonight! Or for me tomorrow, I guess. It's about time! :) Thought I'd upload this before then.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah.

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><p>It turned out you had to climb twenty-one steep, narrow staircases in order to reach the seventh floor, and by the fifth one Aria had trouble remembering why she'd wanted to bring a weekend bag. Did she really need clothes?<p>

Spencer and Kelly were a little behind, regularly stopping in between floors because they ran out of breath. Ezra and three other guys were on the seventh floor as well, whereas the other lucky bastards were on the second floor.

"Here," Ezra whispered in Aria's ear, appearing by her side. "Let me get that for you."

He held up his hand for Aria's weekend bag. Aria quickly looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching, before she gratefully handed it to him. They continued climbing the stairs in silence, their footsteps echoing throughout the building. After two more exhausting minutes, they finally reached a dimly-lit corridor.

Aria and Ezra staggered in the direction of room 703. Spencer had given Aria the room key, and she inserted it in the lock. The door squeaked as it opened, revealing dark shapes with a suspiciously close resemblance to a bed. Aria's hand felt around for the light switch until she found it, turning the lights on.

Compared to the small room Aria had at Kenneth Hall, this hotel room was a fucking palace. There was a giant double bed in the far left corner and single bed was on the opposite end of the room. A small television stood on a mahogany desk, looking strangely out of place. The desk was surrounded by huge, velvet chairs. Through an open door Aria could see a part of a bathtub and a sink. Ezra dropped Aria's bag in the middle of the carpeted floor.

"Okay," Aria said slowly, studying the room in awe. "Maybe this was worth climbing those staircases."

Ezra laughed. "I hate to burst your bubble, but we have to be downstairs again in five minutes."

He watched with an amused expression on his face how Aria collapsed on one of the beds and ignored his comment. She sat on the cover, bouncing up and down to test its bounciness. She seemed pleased with the results, because the smile on her face never faltered.

"Are you sharing a room with us, Mr. Fitz?"

Aria and Ezra both froze in place as Spencer's voice called out. Spencer gave Ezra a sweet smile, amusement evident on her features. Ezra cleared his throat. He was so startled he couldn't think of what to say, and he had to scramble to get some words out.

"Err, I was just helping Aria with her stuff," he mumbled awkwardly, shifting on his feet and running a hand through his hair. "So… I guess I'll see you girls in the lobby in five minutes."

Now that Spencer was in the room, Ezra couldn't get out of the door fast enough. The girls watched after him as he left, before they closed the door. Spencer chuckled and focused her attention on Aria.

"I was wondering how such a tiny girl could carry so much with her so fast."

Aria was suddenly very interested in her bag and she put it on the bed she had been sitting on. She decided to let Spencer get away with mocking her size just this once.

* * *

><p>Aria, Spencer and Kelly managed to make it to the lobby on time. Everyone agreed they were too starved to look for a nice restaurant and the discount coupons they'd received from the front desk when they checked in helped make de decision that they'd eat in the restaurant at the hotel instead. The restaurant was formal. The maître d' immediately rushed to the newly-arrived customers and unctuously greeted them.<p>

"How can I help you?" she asked. A cheek-aching smile was plastered on her face—she was smiling so hard her cheeks were starting to shake. "Did you make a reservation?"

"We didn't. We've just arrived, but we'd like to eat here," Ezra said, taking it upon himself to answer. The maître d' nodded like this was the most fascinating thing she'd ever heard. When Ezra told her he wanted a table for eleven people, her smile faltered. She launched into an elaborate explanation about how she couldn't just push three tables together, and Ezra finally settled for three separate tables to shut her up, forcing the group to split up into smaller groups.

Ezra subtly arranged the seating and he ended up at the same table as Aria. Spencer and Brian took the remaining two chairs. They barely had time to sit down before a waitress came over to their table. A note pad was in her hand and she gave them her best pleasant smile.

"What can I get for you-all to drink?"

She had a slight Southern accent. Once she'd written down the orders and handed Ezra, Aria, Spencer and Brian a menu card, she disappeared again. Aria stared after her and then turned to look at Ezra.

"School's paying our first dinner, right?" she asked him. She studied the menu, exploring her options—there were plenty. She started browsing through the entrées, because she probably couldn't afford them for the rest of the weekend if she wanted to have a main course as well. Aria's parents had agreed on a certain amount of money they'd send her every month to make sure she could provide the things she'd need, and they had been reluctant to send her extra money when she hadn't even lived two full weeks by herself yet.

The corner of Ezra's mouth hitched up a fraction of an inch. "Yes."

"Well, in that case I think I'm going to enjoy this," Aria said with a grin.

* * *

><p>Ezra excused himself to go to the restroom when the drinks had arrived and their food had been ordered. Spencer, Aria and Brian made small talk and sipped their drinks. They all turned to look at Ezra's phone, lying on the table, when it chimed a classic ringtone. The sound of Ezra's phone went on for a couple seconds before it died down again. A couple seconds later, the melody started from the beginning. Aria met Spencer's eyes. Spencer looked stunned, but after a moment a small smile flickered across her face.<p>

"Answer it," Spencer told Aria, glancing at the phone.

Aria's eyes widened as she took a sip of water. "What? No! Are you crazy?"

Brian shrugged. "Why not?"

"He's gonna kill us."

"No, he's not," Spencer replied. "Aren't you a little curious what he's like outside of school? He's not that much older than we are."

Aria knew that better than anyone—the five-year age gap still set them apart, though. Aria knew it might be Hardy who was trying to reach Ezra, but the truth was she had no idea who else it could be and the possibilities were endless. She knew from recent, personal experiences what Ezra was like outside of school, and she didn't want Spencer or Brian interfering in his personal life as well.

"He's our teacher. I'm not going to answer it," Aria said persistently. "You answer it if you want to know so badly."

The words escaped Aria's lips before she'd fully thought them through. Aria watched as a certain determination came over Spencer—a determination that resurfaced every time Spencer was intent on doing something—and Spencer didn't do things halfway. It took Aria less than a second to predict what was going to happen, and she realized that Spencer answering Ezra's phone was quite possibly the worst idea there was. As Spencer's hand shot out, Aria quickly snatched the phone away.

"Hello?"

Aria pressed the device against her ear with fingers that were slightly trembling. Spencer looked taken aback for a couple seconds, but the expression on her face was quickly replaced by one of curiosity and confusion. Aria avoided Spencer and Brian's eyes, focusing on the empty plate in front of her instead, and waited. A reply came almost instantly.

"Ezra! Did you make it yet?"

The person on the other side of the line didn't seem to have noticed that it wasn't Ezra he was talking to yet. Although he was male, Aria was positive that it wasn't Hardy—she would recognize his voice by now. Aria glanced uncertainly at Spencer and gave her a look of pure panic.

"Say something," Spencer mouthed.

Aria nodded uneasily. She could do that. She took a deep breath and found her voice.

"Ezra's unavailable at the moment. Can I leave a message?"

Aria realized she sounded like some sort of personal assistant on phone duty, but she didn't really care. She ignored Brian's smirk and brushed a stranded piece of hair behind her ear. Her grip on the phone tightened as the guy on the other side was quiet for a while.

"Who is this?" he finally asked.

Aria carefully considered her options. She quickly dismissed lying, which was something she was terrible at when put on the spot. Telling the guy she was Ezra's student was obviously out of the question as well, because it would indubitably raise some questions. Aria decided on her name. Plain and simple. Without too much details.

"Aria."

Aria didn't really know how she had expected the guy to respond, but with loud laughter wasn't it. It wasn't a small laugh, either—this laugh surpassed the chuckle range without trouble. Aria responded with a nervous giggle and frowned.

"What's so funny?" she wanted to know. She waited until the guy had calmed down and managed to reply.

"Nothing. Nothing," he muttered quickly. "I guess it's only fair I'm interrupting your date when you interrupted our poker night."

Poker night? Aria's mouth opened and closed again. She was too stunned to correct him and tell him this was far from a date. Now that she thought about it, she could vaguely recognize the voice. Was this the guy that had accused her of interrupting their "boy's night"? The last conversation she'd had with that guy hadn't been all that pleasant, and Aria hadn't gotten around to asking Ezra who the guy that had called her during her date with Noel was exactly. She was guessing a friend.

"That was you?" Aria's mouth went dry.

"That was me."

Both Spencer and Brian were giving Aria a peculiar look—they wondering what she was talking about, no doubt. Aria was having trouble coming up with a response, exasperating the person she was having a phone conversation with. The guy went on.

"Are you in New York?"

Aria shifted uncomfortably. "How do you know about that?"

"Because I live here and Ezra told me he was coming. Call you tell him Brody called?"

Brody Adams never got to hear Aria's reply, because she suddenly had to disconnect the call as Ezra walked back into the room. Aria's fingers were clumsy as she fumbled with the phone and quickly placed it back on the spot it had been occupying when Ezra left to go to the men's room. The three high school seniors were all quiet as Ezra sat back down. Aria tried to look dead casual, but Ezra seemed to know something was off right away.

"What happened?" he enquired inquisitively. Ezra glanced at them with a glint of suspicion.

"Nothing happened," Aria said quickly. She feigned wide-eyed innocence. Ezra cocked his head to the side and gave Aria a cautious look. Aria managed to stare right back at him for a moment, before she told him the truth. "But Brody called. He, uh, told me to tell you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So... I saw they've made some changes on here. You can now add pictures to your story. I'm not sure how it works, though. Could someone explain? :3 Please review!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Hey. ;) Thanks for all the reviews.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" ain't mine.

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><p>Aria held her breath as she awaited Ezra's response. In the meantime she carefully examined his features, trying to gauge his reaction. The expression on his face was unreadable and his jawline was set. Aria didn't fool herself into thinking she knew what his reaction meant—after two short weeks she didn't know him as well as she wanted to. Aria didn't take Ezra's lack of a response as a good sign, though.<p>

Only he did reply.

"Aria, can I speak with you for a moment?" Ezra asked. His voice was carefully-controlled, revealing nothing. His eyes captivated hers, leaving her unable to tear them away. "Privately," he added.

Aria didn't know what else to do but nod mutely. Brian still had a smirk on his face and Aria wished she could wipe it off. Spencer was quietly taking everything in, starting to worry Ezra might be angrier about Aria answering his phone than she'd originally thought he would be.

Aria mirrored that feeling.

She scraped her chair backwards and stood up, while Ezra patiently waited. He motioned to the exit of the restaurant and headed off in that direction. Aria was in tow, trotting along. They passed the bar, with a bored-looking waiter behind it, and rounded a corner, reentering the lobby. Chairs were lined up against the walls with people sprawled out on them, their suitcases resting by their feet as they waited to check in. Ezra didn't pause as he walked past the crowded area, continuing his pace he'd accommodated to one Aria could keep up with. He finally screeched to a halt when they reached a deserted corner of the room, several feet separating them from all the Americans and foreigners, shielded from their sight by two fake decorative plants.

Aria braced herself as Ezra faced her.

"I'm not mad," were the only words he said.

Aria blinked, her eyebrows knitting together. "What?" she replied brilliantly.

"I'm not mad," Ezra repeated. He started leaning against the bright-red wall, crossing his arms over his chest. He could visibly see Aria's shoulders sag in relief, although the worry in her eyes didn't dissipate altogether.

"Are you sure?"

A faint trace of a smile lightened his face. "Yes, I'm sure."

"You're sure," Aria mumbled, nodding. "Okay. That's good." She continued to nod, her eyes searching Ezra's. "Then what did you want to talk about?"

Bright, fluorescent lights flickered above their heads. They both ignored it, focusing on each other. Aria watched how a shadow came over Ezra's features, hiding the small distinctions of his face.

"Why did Brody call?" Ezra asked, answering Aria's question with another one.

"He didn't say. He just told me to tell you he called." Aria thought about it for a minute. "And he asked me if you were in New York."

"He didn't say anything else?"

Aria shrugged. "Not really. He gently reminded me of our earlier phone conversation, though. Is he a friend of yours?"

"One of my best," Ezra answered. His lips twitched, fighting a smile. "He told you about that, huh?"

Aria nodded, signaling the affirmative. "He sure did," she said.

"We were going to meet up this weekend," Ezra went on. He hesitated, wondering if he should continue to say what he had been planning to say. Aria waited for him to finish speaking. "And I… I was wondering if you'd like to meet him."

Aria's eyes widened. "This weekend?" she asked incredulously. Ezra simply nodded. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

Ezra considered it for a moment. "Probably not, no. But I don't see any other chances of you meeting him in the near future, either."

Aria inclined her head, thinking it over. She knew Hardy—that was about it. She had no idea what Ezra's life was truly like, just like he had no idea about what hers had been like before she'd met him. He didn't know about Alison's death. He didn't know about the constant confusion she'd been in after she discovered Byron had cheated on her mom and he had asked her to keep it a secret. He only knew the small details he'd gathered in the past two weeks.

But Aria and Ezra had said they'd try being together, and that included getting to know each other and the people in each other's lives. Aria forced the tiny voice telling her she was being reckless to the back of her mind.

"When did you want to meet him?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Aria's not going to be my rebound." Ezra sounded determined, but Hardy was as well.<em>

"_I think she likes you, man."_

"_What?" Ezra laughed. The laugh wasn't filled with humor, but with disbelief. "I'm pretty sure she hates my guts after this afternoon. Either that, or she just really, _really_ dislikes me."_

"_That's not what it looked like to me," Hardy replied with shrug, studying his friend. _

_Ezra was having a hard time keeping himself from telling Hardy about the reality of their situation, which was far from as ideal as Hardy imagined it to be. Having a female roommate he would be able to get along with should have been a good thing, but Aria was hardly a blessing in disguise. Ezra wasn't looking at her as his student right now, which was just plain wrong. He was feeding her alcohol instead, perhaps even trying to imagine how things could turn out if she wasn't his student…_

"_What are you guys whispering about?"_

_Aria watched how Ezra and Hardy stiffened. Ezra looked almost… guilty? Aria was sure she imagined it, though, as the expression on his face disappeared just as quickly as it had come. The guys relaxed their composures while she sat back down, and Ezra took advantage of the moment by taking a swig of his beer. Hardy turned to look at Aria._

"_Tell me something…," he started, touching her arm to get her attention. "Do you think it's healthy to still be hung up on someone _a year_ after you broke up?"_

_It took Aria's fogged up mind a little longer than it would have if she were sober to process that Hardy was referring to Ezra. Before she realized this, she'd already replied. _

"_God, no!" Aria laughed, but her laugh faltered as she caught sight of the gut-wrenching, heart-broken look on Ezra's face. "I mean…"_

_Ezra was already holding up his hands. "No, it's okay. You're entitled to have your opinion."_

_Aria studied him briefly, instantly feeling bad. "I know I am, but…"_

"_There's no buts," Ezra said, looking down at the beer in his hands. "I know it's pathetic."_

_Aria stared at her English teacher, her face draining of color. She hadn't meant for him to get upset. Hell, if she knew Hardy was talking about Ezra she might not have even said what she'd said. Then again, she was pretty pissed at him for kissing her. And then him insisting it wasn't a real kiss, leaving her wondering what a real kiss was in Ezra Fitz' book._

"_It _is _pathetic!" Hardy agreed loudly, making Ezra wince. "And you need to do something about it. I bet there are tons of girls willing to go out with you." Hardy turned to Aria. "Aren't there?"_

_Hardy couldn't help but notice Aria got a little flustered by the question as he caught her off guard. She stumbled over her words as she replied, assuring Ezra there were, in fact, girls that would go out with him. Aria did her best at a smile to go along with her words and, taking her by complete surprise, Ezra smiled back._

* * *

><p>Aria woke up with a start, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. Her dream had seemed so real. But then again… was it a dream? She didn't have time to think it over as another set of images flashed before her eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>I want you to kiss me," Aria declared, looking straight at Ezra. He'd just sat back down next to Aria, having returned from helping Hardy get out of the building okay. The soft cushions pleasantly welcomed him back, allowing him to sink into the soft material of the couch. A movie was playing on the television screen, but neither of them had any idea what it was about. Bottles of scotch, glasses, Ezra's tie, and the remote control were on the table in front of them.<em>

_Aria was giving Ezra her best earnest look. _

_Ezra laughed. "How much did you have to drink?"_

_Aria didn't join in on his laughter; she really wanted to know if he would. She propped one knee on the couch, looking at him expectantly as she turned to the right angle to give him access to her lips, her neck open for his assault. Aria was summoning up courage to lean in herself, when Ezra opened his mouth—he wasn't stupid; he knew when a girl was going to kiss him._

"_I'm not going to kiss you, Aria."_

_Ezra watched how Aria's lips parted and a pout dominated the way she shaped her bottom lip. Her hazel eyes looked disappointed, but even more so confused._

"_Why?" Aria asked him. "Don't you want to kiss me?"_

_Ezra couldn't help himself—he thought about the answer. For the first time since he'd found out Aria was his student, he looked at her; _really_ looked at her. The girl was beautiful—there was no denying that. Her flawless, porcelain skin; her huge, bottomless eyes; her distracting, heart-shaped lips… When Ezra looked at her gorgeous face, he could forget she was only seventeen years old. But only for a minute, because Ezra realized that particular fact was going to catch up with him sooner than he would want it to if he kissed her. And that was why he couldn't. Besides, the girl probably wouldn't remember her request by the time she woke up tomorrow._

_Ezra gave her a wry smile. "I'm not going to kiss you," he repeated. And, for a brief second, Ezra let himself be disappointed as he said those words._

* * *

><p>Aria blinked furiously a couple of times as the foreign ceiling of her hotel room came back into view. She closed her eyes, hoping to gather more images, but the attempt was futile. The night she'd gotten drunk with Ezra had left a big, gaping hole in her memory. If those moments she just saw had truly happened, they left Aria with more questions than answers.<p>

Aria pushed herself up with her arms, leaving her in an upright sitting position. Spencer's sleeping frame was next to her, her dark, knotted hair the only thing Aria could see in the dim lighting. Kelly was across the room, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. The quiet junior had barely said two words to Aria and Spencer the night before. Aria had noticed during dinner that Kelly had discovered another way to use her mouth, though, and it wasn't for talking. The staff from the restaurant had finally asked her and a guy Aria vaguely recognized to leave, appalled by their public display of affection.

Aria leaned over to the nightstand on her right and switched on the small light. It glowed dimly, illuminating a small part of the room. Aria let her eyes adjust to the brightness and turned to Spencer. She gently shook her shoulder, softly calling out her name, until Spencer responded with something that couldn't be defined as something other than a groan.

"What?" Aria finally heard Spencer say. She sounded annoyed. As bright as a ray of light, that's what Spencer was in the morning.

"I'm going to shower," Aria whispered.

"Good for you. I'm going to sleep," Spencer replied, turning her back towards Aria.

Aria smiled as she grabbed a dress and clean underwear from her weekend bag. Spencer was going to thank Aria later—she always needed a moment to wake up. Aria slammed the bathroom door behind her, locking the door. Six clean towels were draped over the edge of the bathtub and Aria took one. She turned on the shower, letting the water heat up as she peeled her clothes off.

The water was scolding hot on her skin, but Aria didn't mind. She shampooed her hair and rinsed her body, before she turned the water off. Wrapping a towel around her body, she stepped out of the shower, shivering from the cold blast of air that hit her. And then she stopped short.

* * *

><p>"<em>You're drunk."<em>

_For no apparent reason, Aria thought this was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. A giggle escaped her throat, quickly followed by another one. Soon afterwards, Aria was clamping her stomach as she launched into a fit of laughter. Ezra was working hard to keep a straight face, as he was buzzed enough to find her amusing, but not drunk enough to stop being slightly horrified he'd gotten one of his high school students drunk. One of his _underage_ high school students._

"_Maybe you should give that to me…"_

_Ezra gently tried to remove the fingers Aria used to tightly grip her scotch-filled glass, but she shrugged away from him and lifted the glass to her lips with an unsteady hand instead. She went for a drink, taking two big gulps, before she grimaced at the bitter taste and lowered the glass in her lap. Without warning, she placed the glass with rough movements on the table in front of her and stood, slightly stumbling as she tried to regain her footing. Ezra quickly rose with her, scooting off the couch and using his hands to steady her. Aria didn't seem to notice._

"_I have a question," she said in a very serious tone, a frown suddenly appearing on her face. She turned to look at Ezra, looking very startled to discover him so close to her. His tousled hair and blue-greenish eyes were a little blurry, Aria's vision slightly moving without her telling it to. "Why is the room spinning?"_

_Ezra chuckled. "Okay. I think it's time for bed."_

_He was suddenly in front of her, and he put his arms around Aria's shoulders. She glanced up at him from under her long, dark eye-lashes before she began to pull away. _

"_NO!"_

_Aria said the word so forcefully, Ezra jerked in surprise. She was looking at him, drunk and disheveled, and waving her hands in agitation. She pushed Ezra's arms away. She wobbled slightly as she lost her balance, but managed to regain it before Ezra got the chance to help her._

"_What's wrong?" Ezra asked ominously, taken aback._

"_I have to pee."_

_Ezra stared at Aria for a moment and finally cracked up, unable to bite back his laugh at that one. Aria didn't want to laugh, but a tiny giggle came out of her mouth. Ezra could see Aria managed to preserve her razor-like wit and ladylike charm even when she was drunk._

* * *

><p>By the time Aria emerged from the bathroom, both Spencer and Kelly were rummaging through their weekend bags. Spencer's was filled with neat stacks of clothes, everything organized. Aria's had the zipper open, showing off two indistinguishable piles of sloppily folded clothing items. Kelly's was hidden by the aftermath of an explosion of clothes.<p>

But Aria barely noticed any of this. Because it seemed like Ezra had not nearly been as drunk as she had been.

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><p><strong>AN: **Please review. :)


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **Just saw Holland vs. Portugal. Ennnnn... we zijn er uit! FUUUUU. Iemand moet het Nederlands eftal even uitleggen dat een wedstrijd 2x45 minuten duurt i.p.v. 20 minuten geloof ik. Oh, well. Congrats Portugal! And Germany, I think? You're going to the next round. ;) Did you notice Ronaldo fixed up his hair during the break, though?

Enough about soccer. Here's chapter 23! :)

_Ez: _Haha, did I see how hot Ezra looked in this week's episode? Yes. It's kind of hard not to. ;)

_June Sujare: _Nope, I haven't, sorry! :) The flashbacks were from the night Aria and Ezra got drunk. Which was in chapter 6 or 7? I think. I don't remember exactly.

**Disclaimer: **Hmmmmmm.

* * *

><p>Breakfast wasn't in the hotel restaurant, but a different—more simplistic, less fancy—room. All different kinds of bread, cereal and fruit were scattered haphazardly over a weirdly-shaped table on the far end of the room. Aria avoided that table altogether and headed straight for the coffee maker instead, fully aware that she needed a cup in order to function properly in the morning.<p>

She tapped her fingers impatiently as she waited, allowing her eyes to roam over the room to look for something Ezra-shaped. He wasn't there yet, despite the fact that Aria had had to listen to him and Anna Mendoza bitch about punctuality last night for a good three minutes. The clock hanging on a bare wall revealed he was now six minutes late.

The coffee maker finished and Aria poured herself some coffee, ruminating over the hole in her memory. But no matter how hard she tried to think past the alcohol buzz, no memories trickled into her consciousness when she was actively looking for them. Aria quickly gave up and faced the room.

Cards with room numbers on them in elegant, cursive writing were conveniently placed on the tiny tables set for breakfast. Spencer, who'd somehow succeeded in arriving earlier than the appointed time, was already chewing on buttered toast, a steaming cup of sugared tea in front of her. She was staring out of the window, although there wasn't that much to see besides the neighboring building, but she looked up as Aria neared. Aria walked over to the chair on Spencer's right and grabbed the empty plate in front of it, simultaneously placing her coffee on the white linen tablecloth.

"Can you get me an apple?" Spencer asked.

"Sure."

Aria headed for the breakfast buffet. She was trying to decide between two different, but equally delicious-looking, buns when she suddenly felt a hand on her elbow. She jumped in surprise and nearly smashed her plate on Ezra's head as a defence mechanism. He was smirking at her when she met his eyes, clearly aware that _she_ hadn't been aware of him.

"Good morning, Aria," he said courteously.

"Good morning, Mr. Fitz," Aria mumbled back, giving him her most frigid look.

Ezra didn't seem to notice. He looked freshly-shaven and showered, his teacher attire in place. He'd opted for a button down shirt and added a tie to make his ensemble more professional. Aria reminded herself not to stare, focusing her eyes on the food instead, grabbing whatever she could get her hands on first. Ezra stayed glued to her side, his arm brushing against hers in a manner that told her it was no accident.

"Did you sleep okay?" Ezra asked her quietly. He placed a bowl on his plate and used a largely-sized spoon to put some cereal in it. Aria's full attention was on his hands.

"Fine," she bit out, stopping short from saying anything else.

Ezra paused his actions. The cereal was briefly forgotten as his questioning eyes landed on Aria. She looked away from his searching gaze and continued walking. She took two bright-red apples, one for Spencer and one for herself. She added one of those tiny packages of butter and a tiny cup of strawberry-jam.

Ezra easily caught up with her as she walked back to her table, her short strides no match for his long ones. He grabbed her arm. Not hard enough to make it hurt, but hard enough to make her stop walking.

"What?" she hissed. She spun around to face him, making an annoyed sound at the back of her throat. Ezra looked taken aback, but only for a moment. His eyes quickly softened.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," replied Aria, perhaps a little too quickly. She made motions to continue walking, but Ezra stopped her before she could, his arm blocking her path. Her eyes were positively infuriated.

"This," Ezra told her, gesturing to the angered girl, "is not nothing. Did I do something wrong?"

Aria stared at the floor like it was the most interesting thing she'd seen in a while. He didn't know _why_ Aria was angry, but he did seem to know she _was_ angry, as he was giving Aria one of his looks that told her to cut the crap. His piercing eyes were enough to almost make her resolve crumble and forgive him, and he wasn't even trying yet.

"It's nothing," Aria insisted. "Let's not talk about it." She glanced around. Spencer was staring at them, a puzzled look on her face. Aria quickly looked away and added, "Not here."

Ezra allowed her to walk away this time and Aria inelegantly collapsed into the chair next to Spencer's. Her food had looked really good a moment ago, but Aria's appetite was gone. To make matters even worse, Ezra thought it was perfectly acceptable to sit down opposed to her after that brief spat, which is exactly what he did. He grunted a greeting at Spencer, ignoring Aria's withering stare.

They sat in silence for quite some time. Aria stared pointedly at the card with the room number on it and then at Ezra. He followed her gaze, saw what she was looking at, and looked away. He mutely ate his cereal, studying Aria intently in the process. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, but it was Spencer who apparently felt the need to break the awkward silence the most.

"Have you ever been in New York before?" she asked him, because she could think of nothing else to say. His eyes shifted and he was relieved to see Spencer looked a little friendlier than his confusing, stubborn roommate.

"Often enough to see the tourist version of the city," said Ezra. Aria took a sip of her coffee and grimaced, presumably because she didn't like the taste. Ezra didn't miss a second of it, but didn't comment on it like he usually would have. "Have you?"

Spencer shook her head. "My parents don't like New York," she added by way of explanation.

Ezra nodded, because he understood. His parents were originally from New York, but they both loathed the city with a passion. Ezra hadn't gotten a chance to visit until he was in college, but perhaps that was the phase of his life when he could appreciate "the city that never sleeps" most.

Ezra crinkled his eyes at Aria. "What about you?"

Aria, previously occupied with her food, looked up with a dazed look on her face, startled to find both Spencer and her English teacher looking at her like they expected an answer from her. "Huh?"

Ezra looked at her with the merest hint of a smile. "Have you been to New York before?" he asked in an amused voice.

"Oh," Aria mumbled. "No."

* * *

><p>"Is everything okay with you and Mr. Fitz?"<p>

The question came from Spencer when they neared the seventh staircase. Aria and Spencer's breathing had already accelerated, both of them huffing and puffing in an unladylike manner with each step they took. Aria's cheeks flushed, but it had nothing to do with the exercise.

"We're fine," Aria said with a shrug, which she hoped that came across as indifferent. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Spencer didn't fall for it. "Oh, come on!" she pressed. "Don't pretend you didn't notice. He acted way weird back there."

"He just asked us about our previous visits to New York." After careful consideration Aria added, "Or lack thereof. What's so weird about that?"

"He stared at you as if you were some kind of really cryptic crossword clue he was trying to solve," Spencer disagreed. "It was creepy. You didn't notice?"

Aria _had_ noticed. It was impossible not to. His eyes had a tendency to burn holes into her skin as soon as he looked at her. Ignoring them, however, had not done any good, as he just kept on staring. She wasn't going to tell Spencer any of that, though.

"Not really, no."

"Well, you should pay attention to it," Spencer said. "He does it a lot."

* * *

><p><em>We need to talk.<em>

Aria sent the text message before she could change her mind. A reply came almost immediately.

_I'm in room 705. _

Aria stared at the message long and hard. Did he want her to come to his room? Did he think that that was a good idea? He wasn't stupid enough to think that it was.

Then again, where else could they talk?

Aria glanced at the closed bathroom door. Spencer was in there. Kelly was still at breakfast. Would Spencer notice if she left the room? What would she say if Spencer did?

Aria didn't pause to think about the answers to any of those questions. She slipped out of her room, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could possibly muster. She lifted her fist to knock on Ezra's door, but stopped as she noticed he had left it slightly ajar. She pushed her way inside and found Ezra waiting for her, casually leaning against the wall opposed to her. The door clicked shut behind her as she closed it.

"Hey," said Ezra.

"Hey," replied Aria. She forced a stiff smile.

Ezra pushed himself away from the wall and came closer, halting in front of her. He grabbed her hand in his, squeezing her fingers. Aria didn't squeeze back, but she didn't pull away either. For a moment they just stood there, staring at their intertwined fingers, before Aria cleared her throat and their gazes crossed.

"I remembered something," she told him quietly. "About that night we got drunk."

Ezra looked genuinely surprised. "You—You did?"

Aria gave a tiny nod, her soft curls moving up and down in synchronism with her head. "I do. And I need you to tell me something." Aria took a deep breath, watching Ezra's face carefully as she asked the question that had been bothering her. "Were you really drunk?"

Emotions swept over Ezra's face so fast, Aria had a hard time keeping track of them all. Disbelief was quickly followed by hurt and anger. He gave a couple of astonished blinks and Aria's hostility slightly faltered.

"What are you insinuating?" asked Ezra, the set of his jaw hardening. He released Aria's hand. "You think I lied about not remembering that night?"

Aria didn't reply; she just stared at him. Her cheeks were flushed with anger. Those hazel eyes Ezra so often admired now simply looked dark and impenetrable. Ezra appeared to be legitimately hurt by her accusations, but Aria didn't know whether or not she could believe him anymore.

"You do," Ezra said bitterly, answering his own question when it became clear Aria wasn't going to. He was surprised, but he could see it written all over her face. "Why would I do that?"

Aria shrugged, pushing down her anger. "I don't know. Why don't _you_ tell _me_?"

"I didn't lie, Aria. I have no idea how we ended up falling asleep on that couch together."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," Ezra said immediately.

Ezra had _tried_ to force himself to remember, but unfortunately for him that wasn't how stuff like that worked. Memories came back with time, triggered by all sorts of different things, and sometimes they didn't come back at all. He had no idea why Aria was under the impression that he was supposed to remember, though.

"So you remember nothing?" Aria continued like he had never spoken. "At all?"

Now Ezra looked uncomfortable. He adjusted his crooked tie. "I wouldn't go that far…," he finally said.

She reached over and grabbed Ezra's wrist. Her eyes were urgent as they looked into his. "What do you remember?" she asked. Ezra could feel her breath dancing over his face, her intoxicating scent almost distracting him from the matter at hand. Almost. "I asked you to kiss me, didn't I?"

Ezra smiled at the memory. "Yeah, you did."

"And you never thought to share this with me?"

Ezra's smile faltered. He opened his mouth and closed it again. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion, before it started to dawn on him what was going on here. "You mean you didn't know?"

"I didn't know," Aria confirmed.

"You looked so embarrassed the next day…," Ezra said. "I just assumed that was why you... I figured you didn't want to talk about it."

"What else do you remember?"

* * *

><p><em>Ezra emptied the glass, the alcohol burning as it made its way down his throat, and refilled it. He grabbed the crystal object and swirled the liquid around by moving the glass in circles. It was a nervous habit. Ezra glanced at the clock. He was starting to grow worried; more than ten minutes had elapsed. He made his way to the bathroom door and used his knuckles to tentatively knock on it.<em>

"_Everything alright in there?"_

_Aria's weak reply came a mere couple seconds later. "Yeah…," she mumbled. "I'm fine." _

_Ezra's suspicions were confirmed—she sounded anything but. Aria hadn't yet replied or Ezra could hear her unload the alcohol she'd overindulged in as it forced its way back up. The sound that came out of her mouth was inhuman, and her hands clung to the cold, white porcelain of the toilet. Ezra patiently waited for the noises to finish before he spoke. _

"_Aria, open up."_

* * *

><p>"You saw me throw up?"<p>

A look of pure horror was on Aria's face, her face drained of color. She was glad she didn't remember _that_, but more than a little freaked out by the fact that he clearly did.

"Not exactly," Ezra assured her. "You came out two minutes later and managed to not throw up for the rest of the night. That, I can remember."

Relief washed over Aria's features, although she wasn't sure him hearing her throw up was that much better than him seeing her do it. "Okay. That's good, I guess. Then what happened?"

"You just kept saying all these ridiculous, silly things," Ezra said with a shrug. "That's all I remember."

"What kind of things?"

Ezra mumbled something, but Aria couldn't quite catch what he said. She watched as his posture changed and he shifted nervously, uncomfortable once again. Why wouldn't he meet her eyes?

"Things like what, Ezra?" Aria asked again, her voice a little louder this time, her tone more demanding.

"It doesn't matter," he replied quickly, dismissing it. A mask of indifference came over his face and Aria wasn't sure if she liked the change.

"Things like what?"

"Aria—"

"THINGS LIKE WHAT?"

Her breath caught in her throat when he answered.

"Things like I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Please review!


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **My summer break just started! I'm now officially a senior! :) Thank you for all the sweet reviews! I want to apologize in advance for the ending. I was kind of in a rush, though, so I hope you will forgive me, haha. This may not be what you expect, but let me know what you think.

_teen at heart: _Great idea! :) I decided to use it.

_bite-me-im-irish:_ :)

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

* * *

><p>Silence stretched out between them as they both desperately tried to find a proper way to respond. The words were a cue for awkward silence and Ezra quickly decided not to interrupt it, giving Aria a calculated look instead as he waited to see how she was reacting to this. Her eyes had wandered to the ground to look for something she obviously wasn't going to find—a spot to fixate on besides him. Inevitably, her eyes found her way back to his.<p>

"I told you I loved you?" Aria asked for clarification, although they both knew she'd heard him perfectly fine the first time.

"You did."

This left Aria speechless for another moment. Or maybe she was just trying to wrap her mind around the fact that this was something that had actually happened, rather than just a really bad hypothetical situation.

"And you didn't think to mention this _once_?" Aria asked. "What, you didn't think it was important? You didn't think it mattered?"

She looked embarrassed, her face growing hotter by the second. Her probing, pertinent questions soon faltered as she balled her hands into fists, her nails leaving tiny marks in the palm of her hand. She stared into Ezra's eyes, hoping to find answers, but all she found was a breathtaking blue blending together with a beautiful green.

"Aria, people say stupid shit when they're drunk," Ezra reasoned. He reached out and attempted to take her hand in his once again, but she jerked away.

"How do you know?" she replied bitterly. "I thought you didn't get drunk."

"Maybe not," agreed Ezra. "But I went to college."

"And that makes you a fucking expert?" Aria snapped.

Ezra's face crumbled the tiniest bit as his attempt to make her smile failed miserably and Aria forced herself to take a deep breath. She closed her eyes until she felt her heartbeat slow to a regular pace. When she allowed her eyelids to flutter open again, Ezra came back into view, a compassionate look on his face.

"Look, this isn't about what I said," she told him before he could say something. Ezra pressed his lips tightly together as he waited. "I just wish you would have told me I said that."

"I can't read your mind, Aria." His voice softened. "I had no idea you didn't remember that."

"But were you just going to let something like that slip, though?" Aria asked him incredulously, her voice starting to rise. "I'm your student, for God's sake! It was inappropriate."

She thought it was inappropriate that she had told him she loved him after he and Hardy had gotten her drunk? Ezra nearly let out a bark of laughter. It was, but the fact that she was okay with them living together—which was just as wrong; if not, more so—was kind of twisted. Why did she think this was so much worse?

"We crossed boundaries the second we found out I was your teacher and we decided to keep living together anyway," Ezra said. He gave a humorless chuckle. "I'm terribly sorry that I didn't know what the proper conduct was after you told me you loved me. Because you were drunk."

"Well, ignoring it apparently did the trick for you, huh?"

"So what if it did?"

"Ignoring something doesn't make it go away, Ezra."

"You want me to take your statement seriously, then?" he asked her, raising his eyebrow as high as they would go. "We knew each other what, two days? Three?"

Aria grew quiet now that he had pushed her into a corner, unsure how to respond. She hadn't meant those words—that much was clear and that much they both knew. Hell, she didn't even remember saying them. Ezra could have mentioned what she had said that night. But then again, she also could have asked him what he remembered.

Ezra grew confused as Aria became absorbed in her own thoughts and the spark of anger in her eyes dimmed slightly. He was becoming a little agitated, no matter how hard he tried to push those feelings away. He still didn't understand why Aria had gotten mad at him in the first place, but he knew why she was angry now.

She did the last thing he expected her to do—she threw herself at him.

Aria's lips crashed against his with a force that made him stumble backwards, his feet working quickly to upkeep his balance. It took Ezra a brief moment to realize what was happening. Aria's anger translated into something entirely different as she kissed him, and Ezra was taken aback by the sudden change compared to the sweet, gentle kisses they'd shared back in Rosewood. Ezra realized what she was trying to do—distracting him—but he didn't stop her; he didn't want to.

His tongue softly caressed hers as Aria's world started to spin, Ezra being the only thing that kept her upright. Her knees grew weak and her pulse raced as they stumbled to the four-poster bed taking up most of the space in Ezra's room. His calves hit the piece of furniture first, quickly followed by the rest of his body. He broke Aria's fall and spun them around before his mouth captured hers again, his body pressing her further into the mattress.

Aria's arms found her way around his waist, pulling herself tightly against him. She lost track of time, the world around her evaporating. His fingers danced over her body, creeping lower and lower until they reached the hem of her dress. Aria's breath hitched as Ezra lifted the material a couple inches.

They tangled around each other, limbs intertwining, until they couldn't get any closer. His breath drew goose bumps as he kissed her neck. His hands inched higher up her thighs. Aria reluctantly broke away with a gasp for air as his hands came dangerously close—too close—to a dangerous area.

"You're going too fast," Aria whispered.

Ezra somehow managed to find a small piece of willpower. He dragged himself away from Aria's body, putting some distance between them. He rubbed his eyes in a fuzzy daze, breathing heavily.

It took a moment before Aria's quiet sobs registered. His head snapped in her direction, his eyes widening slightly. Tears silently cascaded down her cheeks, tiny shivers racking through her body.

"Oh, God." Ezra was horrified. "Aria, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean—"

He trailed off. He wanted to comfort her, but he stopped himself, suddenly afraid he would scare her away if he tried to touch her. His face grew grim as he watched her and Ezra mentally cursed himself. How could he be so stupid?

"Aria?" he asked carefully, his voice both worried and anxious.

She looked up, tears blurring her vision. With dismay she noticed that Ezra was watching her. She wiped the salty drops away with the back of her hand, but they were quickly replaced by new ones rolling down her face.

"I—"

She had opened her mouth, but no more sounds came out.

Ezra's hand was hesitant as he reached over to touch her arm, but Aria didn't flinch away from his touch like he expected her to. She didn't say anything as Ezra wrapped her up in a hug. It didn't take long before her tears soaked through the front of his shirt; Ezra barely noticed. He was beyond confused, but he held her without asking questions, whispering soothing words into her ear, until—finally—she stopped shaking.

She leaned back with red-rimmed eyes and smudged mascara. The left corner of her mouth hitched up a fraction of an inch, twisting her mouth into an awkward, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," she managed to choke out.

Ezra pushed a stranded lock of hair behind her ear and his eyebrows knitted together. "You don't have to apologize."

Aria took a deep, shaky breath. "Yes. Yes, I do. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. That was unfair."

Ezra's frown deepened. Shouldn't he be the one apologizing? He shouldn't have allowed his hands to travel that far. That kiss hadn't been as innocent as Aria had probably intended it to be. Aria's anger had washed away with her tears, though, and sadness was now taking up its place.

"Aria, I'm sorry I di…," Ezra tried to apologize again. She chuckled, however. Ezra's eyes were indecipherable as he watched. He was stunned. Three minutes ago, she'd been pissed. A minute later she'd attacked his face. Then she was crying, and now she was laughing? How was her mood changing to abruptly?

"I'm glad you find it amusing," he muttered.

Aria's smile faltered slightly. "This isn't your fault, Ezra," said she. "I told you when I wanted you to stop and you did."

"Then why—"

"Let's just say that this isn't the first time that I have no recollections of a night because of alcohol," Aria interrupted. She really didn't want to think about that unfortunate day, now more than two years ago, but slowly and somewhat reluctantly, more and more memories were flooding back.

"I thought last week was the first time you'd gotten drunk," Ezra said. It was perhaps not the cleverest thing he could have said to her after that revelation, but it was the only thing he could come up with.

"It was," Aria agreed. "I wasn't drunk that other time, but I'd had enough to fall asleep."

Ezra was silent for a moment. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

Aria looked away.

"Aria?"

When she looked up, tears had sprung to her eyes again. They were stinging her eyes, reflecting the light coming through the window of Ezra's hotel room, which was just as dimly lit as room 703 was.

"Oh, crap!" Ezra cursed. "What did I—"

"When I woke up, one of my friends had disappeared," Aria said before he could finish. Her voice sounded a little off, almost hollow, as she relived the experience in her head. "They still haven't found her."

Rosewood was a relatively safe town, Alison's disappearance being the notorious exception. For minor daily offenses, Rosewood could do with an inexperienced police force, but they had obviously been out of their league when the fifteen-years-old girl had mysteriously vanished. No outside help had done any good, though, and even the private investigators hired by Alison's parents had come up empty-handed, all the trails leading to dead ends.

"When did this happen?"

"Two years ago."

"You were friends with Alison DiLaurentis?"

Aria didn't ask him how he knew she was talking about Alison's disappearance. Ezra had to have been a sophomore at Hollis at the time and everyone in Rosewood had heard. Headlines had been dominated by the mystery for weeks, entire news casts had been devoted to the girl, but her disappearance—her murder—had never been solved.

Aria's nod signaled the affirmative. "I swore to myself I'd never forget another night of my life because of alcohol. I guess remembering those brief moments this morning just reminded me of that promise."

"Aria, I'm so sorry," Ezra said again, but this time for a completely different reason. He felt useless sitting by her side, the comfort of his arms the only thing he had to offer.

"Thank you," Aria replied.

She didn't know what else to say. She never had. Countless of people had given her the same look that Ezra was giving her now, but she'd always hated every second of it. Everyone wanted to help, show they cared, but all they did was remind her. Aria forced a stiff smile at Ezra.

"Anyway, I'm sorry I got mad at you," she said, "when I guess I was mad at myself. If I ever say that I love you—when I'm sober—I want to be certain I want to say it." Her voice softened, her eyes staring into the unending depths of Ezra's blue-greenish ones. "If I'll ever say it to you in the future, you'll know I mean it."

A corner of Ezra's mouth lifted up, twisting his mouth into an adorable half-smile. "_If _you'll ever say it to me," mumbled he, "I'll be the luckiest guy on the planet."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Aria laughed as she opened Ezra's hotel room door. Her appearance had been fixed; the slight puffiness of her eyes the only evidence that she'd been crying. The laughter died quickly on her lips as the door to room 703 opened at the exact same time as Ezra's did—a familiar person stepped out.<p>

Spencer didn't exhibit any signs of acknowledgment as she ran her gaze across the corridor, not pausing a beat before moving on after landing her eyes on Aria and Ezra's silhouettes. The couple had frozen on the spot, looks of pure horror on their faces as they realized how careless they were being. Without saying a word, Spencer turned around, leaving the door ajar for Aria, and headed down the stairs.

Aria didn't stop her. Neither did Ezra. He only said two words.

"Holy crap."

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><p><strong>AN:** Please review! :)


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **Bonjour.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is not mine.

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><p>Aria's footsteps faltered as the room came into view. People were quietly talking, their murmurs bouncing off walls and high ceilings, echoing throughout the building. The intricate patterns on the marble floors were indistinguishable with dozens of people scattered across them, mingling. A massive amount of chairs was set up in the center of the room, their fronts pointing to a stage. The atmosphere was vibrant and alive.<p>

Aria didn't even realize she'd stopped walking until Ezra nearly bumped into her. She blinked her eyes in surprise, this being far from what she'd expected. Ezra halted next to her. His eyes were darting in different directions, taking in the scenery.

"What do you think?" he questioned.

"I didn't realize there were going to be so many people here," Aria replied quietly.

A jaw-dropping number was milling about. Meanwhile, Aria had turned as white as a sheet. What kind of writing competition was this? What had happened to the kind where you would submit a story and hear whether or not you'd won afterwards? What was the purpose of her reading her story out loud in front of all these people? Was it really necessary?

"I'm sure they will love your story," Ezra assured her.

"How do you know?" asked she. "You didn't even read it!"

"And whose fault is that?"

Because of the one week's notice, Aria hadn't had time to write something new. Instead, she'd dug up one of her old short stories and refused to let Ezra read it until it was completely edited. She was always nervous about showing people her work, but she didn't want to show Ezra anything she'd written until she was absolutely certain that she'd perfected it. There had been no time for him to read it by the time that she _had_ actually finished, though.

Aria opened her mouth to defend herself, but her eyes were dragged towards another direction when Spencer walked past them. Ezra's hand went to Aria's arm as he gave her an alarmed look. Spencer had dropped her eyes when she had seen Aria leave Ezra's hotel room—and she had ignored the both of them for the past two hours since. There had been a few attempts at small talk on Aria's part, but none had been successful.

"I'll be right back," Aria said to Ezra, before she walked after her friend. "Spencer!"

Spencer was dimly aware of Aria's voice calling out her name, but she kept her eyes fixed on the people in front of her. She purposefully shoved herself through the crowd, although she didn't have a clue where she was going. She came to a stumbling halt when Aria grabbed her arm, shaking her out of her trance.

"What?" Spencer spat out furiously.

"I know you saw me," replied Aria. A hint of doubt flecked her voice, although she hid it well. Aria's face was guarded, but her eyes were practically burning holes into Spencer's as she carefully examined her friend. Aria hadn't been a hundred percent certain if Spencer had really seen her leave Ezra's hotel room, but the brief flash of… something on Spencer's face—though gone so quickly Aria nearly thought she'd imagined it—convinced her differently.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Spencer said.

She freed herself from Aria's grasp with one simple movement and continued walking. Spencer threatened to melt into the crowd of contestants, but Aria followed her, increasing her pace to match Spencer's.

"I don't know what you saw or what you _think _you saw," Aria said to Spencer's back, "but can we please just talk about it?"

Spencer didn't reply. She wove her way around small clusters of people of various ages, who were very busy exchanging pleasantries. Some people were already finding their seats, whereas others, like Spencer, were walking in different directions. A simple door, painted a brilliant ivory color, soon came into view. It was frequently blocked from Spencer's line of vision by people walking past her, but the symbol of a woman on it—identifying the room behind it as the ladies' room—was unmistakable.

"Spence!" Aria called out, her voice a tad bit pleading. "It wasn't what it looked like."

Spencer turned around so abruptly Aria nearly crashed into her. She arched a brow and her intense gaze all of the sudden landed on Aria. Aria shifted uncomfortably as she stopped walking, while simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief because she'd at least managed to evoke some kind of reaction.

"It looked to _me _like you were leaving Mr. Fitz' hotel room," Spencer said.

Her words knocked Aria's breath out of her chest. Spencer had seen her when she'd left Ezra's room. Aria had guessed as much, but why hadn't Spencer said anything about it? Was she angry? Was she confused? What was she?

Aria blushed. "Well, I did, but that's not what I meant by—"

Spencer didn't wait for Aria to finish. She'd already turned around, walking away again. Her disappearing figure grew smaller and smaller, until it finally disappeared behind the bathroom door. This time, Aria didn't follow her.

* * *

><p>It rapidly became clear to Ezra why two days had been scheduled for this writing competition. Each contestant took about ten minutes as he or she read his or her story, and there was a room full of the little bastards waiting to go on stage. Ezra was very grateful for the word count limit. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for the judges—seated behind the crowd—who had to listen intently to each and every entry.<p>

The schedule had been announced. Juniors were on Saturday, seniors on Sunday. Listening to the stories of others was optional for contestants. Three Rosewood students were scheduled for Saturday afternoon, though, which is why the entire group had had the pleasure of listening to the stories of a bunch of strangers for a good hour and a half now as they waited for the Rosewood juniors to go on stage. Some were really well-written, but most were absolutely terrible. The English teacher inside of Ezra Fitz could barely stand to listen to them, making mental corrections and improvements without thinking twice about it.

He felt a little bad as he retrieved his cell phone from his pocket out of boredom, but not bad enough to stop himself from doing it. He glanced at Aria, sitting a couple seats away from him. She had sunk as far as she could into her seat, the weight of her head supported by her hand. He smiled as he watched her stifle a yawn, before he returned his attention to his phone.

Aria jumped in her seat as her phone chimed loudly, interrupting the quiet in the room. The girl on the stage paused mid-sentence. A couple people turned around in their seats to see where the noise was coming from, glaring at Aria as they singled her out.

"I—I'm sorry," Aria stammered.

She was well-aware that her face was doing a good impersonation of a strawberry. She quickly found her phone and fumbled with the device. The ringtone had stopped, but she turned off the sound. The girl on stage resumed where she'd left off. Aria gave Ezra a dirty look as she saw that he was the one who'd texted her. He responded with an innocent shrug. Aria shook her head as she opened his text.

_I think we should take Spencer with us tonight._

The message wasn't what she'd expected and Aria inwardly smirked at the idea. She looked up to meet Ezra's eyes in the crowd, bewildered and confused by the mere suggestion, especially since it was coming from him. Her expression turned deadly serious as she noticed that Ezra didn't seem to find the prospect very funny, as even the smallest trace of amusement wasn't detectable on his handsome features. Her fingers moved quickly and Ezra got his reply a couple seconds later.

_You're kidding, right?_

Aria was nervous about meeting Brody Adams, which was going to happen tonight. She didn't know anything about the guy, except for his name and whatever small knowledge she'd gained during their unusual chit-chats on the phone. During their first conversation, Aria had been on a date with another guy and Ezra was supposed to pick her up in his car. During their second conversation, she had been with Ezra in New York City—the town he was visiting because he was supervising a high school trip. Brody had to be curious how Aria was related to Ezra. Bringing along Spencer, who was wondering the exact same thing, was probably not the best idea there was out there.

_I'm not. I think it might be good for her to see us together._

Aria nearly groaned in frustration—she couldn't reply out loud, but she had plenty to say. This was, after all, Spencer Hastings they were talking about. The girl had an IQ too big for her own good and Spencer was going to figure them out in no time if she actually put her mind to it. Perhaps "you're living together" wouldn't be Spencer's first guess, but "you're attracted to each other" might very well be.

_I don't think so._

Aria waited until Ezra got her text, and met his eyes. She shook her head at him, indicating that it was a bad idea. He took it into consideration, before he started on his reply. Soon afterwards, Aria's phone vibrated, alerting her to a new text message. She opened it.

_Why not? _

Aria had so many reasons she didn't even know where to begin, but she was more curious about why Ezra thought that it was a _good_ idea to bring Spencer along. He had to know what complications that might cause.

_Why would it be good for her to see us together?_

Ezra replied without hesitation.

_Your family is in Iceland. You shouldn't push away your friends._

* * *

><p>The last Rosewood junior was scheduled to go on at 4 PM, and by 4.30 PM the group from Rosewood High School finally left the building. They went back to the hotel to freshen up and ate dinner together, this time at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant Ezra had discovered by accident as they strolled through the neighborhood.<p>

Spencer was behaving like her normal self again, making witty remarks and clever jokes. Aria decided not to question it, sitting next to Spencer with as much distance between her and Ezra as was physically possible while still sitting at the same table.

The students got the evening to themselves, as long as they'd be back at the hotel by 1 AM and wouldn't wander off alone. Anna Mendoza went back to her room. Spencer was a little thrown off when Aria suggested they'd go with Ezra, but she agreed. Aria had a feeling Spencer was hoping to find out a little more about her weird situation with their English teacher.

They walked through unfamiliar streets to get to wherever it was that Ezra and Brody had agreed to meet. Both Aria and Spencer had no idea where they were going, but Ezra did seem to know. Either he had been in this part of New York before or he had a knack for guessing which way to go when they reached a crossing. After a five-minute walk he finally came to a stop. Spencer's eyes widened slightly.

"He's taking us to a bar?" Spencer hissed incredulously in Aria's ear.

Aria wasn't sure how to respond. _Was _he taking them to a bar? She took him opening the door for them as a yes. She shrugged uneasily at Spencer and went inside. Spencer followed and Ezra closed the door behind them. No IDs had to be checked, which meant they probably did that if you ordered an alcoholic drink at the bar. The place was nearly deserted, only three boots filled with people. A soft hum of a song Aria didn't recognize was easily heard over their chatter.

Brody wasn't hard to find. As soon as he saw Ezra cross the threshold, he stood and walked over. They greeted each other, hugging briefly. Spencer was frowning by the time that they let go of each other.

Brody gave the girls a lazy grin, towering over them. He was tall—much taller than Ezra. His sandy brown hair was messy, repeatedly falling over his face. His broad shoulders and well-built body revealed that he was definitely older than they were. Twenty-three, if Aria had to guess.

"Nice to meet you, ladies."

They both nodded in acknowledgement.

"This is Aria," Ezra said, motioning to Aria, "and Spencer." His hand moved on to his other English student.

"I'm Brody."

Brody shook Spencer's hand first. His grin grew wider as he turned to Aria—he definitely remembered her, as she'd expected he would. He didn't hide it when he looked her up and down. He studied her for a moment, comparing her to the image of her he'd created in his head.

"It's nice to finally put a face to your voice," Aria said with a small smile.

"Yes, it is," Brody said with a chuckle. He turned towards Ezra. "I'm going to get some beers and then you can show me if you still know how to play."

Before Ezra could respond, Brody had already disappeared. The frown on Spencer's face hadn't. She hadn't said a word since they'd arrived, and Ezra was starting to realize that he and Aria needed to give her some sort of explanation soon. Ezra's hand went through his tousled hair, before he turned to look at Aria and Spencer.

"That's one my college friends," Ezra said, more to Spencer than to Aria. "Do, err… Do you guys want to play pool?"

"Yes, we do."

Aria turned to look at Spencer in surprise, not expecting her to answer and not expecting her to agree to play. Ezra hid his reaction a little better and motioned for them to follow him. They crossed the room and Aria finally noticed the pool table hidden in a corner. It was surrounded by tables, which were in turn surrounded by ladder-back chairs—none of which were occupied.

"Why are we meeting his college friend in a bar?" whispered Spencer in Aria's ear. She nervously glanced at Ezra, who was walking a couple feet in front of them.

"I don't know," Aria whispered back. She was genuinely surprised he'd chosen this location. Then again, it was probably Brody who had made the decision, as he lived in New York.

"Is this the guy you spoke on the phone with?"

"I think so."

Ezra took three cue sticks from the wall, and handed Aria and Spencer one. The pool table was hard to miss now that it had been pointed out. An interesting lamp hung above it, lighting up the quarried slate covered in green cloth. Colorful balls with numbers on them were spread over the table. Ezra positioned the object balls in a triangular rack, readying them for an 8-ball game. The white one, the cue ball, he took in his hand.

"Have you guys ever played before?" Ezra asked.

Aria shook her head, because she hadn't, while Spencer nodded, because she had. Spencer opened her mouth to add something, but closed it again as Brody returned with four beers on a tray. He placed it on the nearest table and grabbed a cue stick.

"Shall I break?" he asked.

"Go for it," replied Aria with a shrug. She had no idea what it meant, but she assumed it was taking the first shot of the game.

She was right. Ezra handed Brody the cue ball and he started the game, hitting the ball with a nudge hard enough to break the rack and pocket two balls. He missed his next shot, either because he had no aim, because he was distracted, or because he simply messed up his shot. Aria was up next and, although she'd studied Brody intently, she still had no clue what to do. She gave Ezra a panicked look.

"Do you want me to help you?" Ezra asked her with a chuckle.

"Okay," Aria said hesitantly.

Her eyes widened slightly as Ezra stepped behind her. She glanced at Spencer, who was wearing a mask of indifference, and back at the table. She cleared her throat and assumed the position she thought Brody had been in. Ezra's chest touched her shoulders as he loosely wrapped his arms around Aria. She felt his breath at the nape of her neck.

"Your right hand," Ezra said, guiding it, "should be right about here. In the beginning it's really about what feels comfortable."

He turned his attention to her left hand, adjusting her fingers, helping her balance the cue stick in the right way. Aria had to remind herself to keep breathing.

"Do you think you can hit it?" Ezra asked. He moved even closer, his breath fanning her right cheek.

"Yeah, I think I'll try," Aria said quickly.

Ezra stepped backwards, taking his warmth with him, and Aria gave Spencer another worried look. Her entire facial expression had changed, her mask of indifference replaced by a kaleidoscope of emotions—surprise and confusion being the most dominant ones. Spencer's eyes were full of questions as their gazes locked and Aria quickly looked away. She leaned over the table and hit the ball she had to hit dead-on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I'm going to France for three weeks, so I won't be able to update for a while. It's going to be some experience—the nearest grocery store is an hour away from our campsite. My "bonjour" and "je-ne-parle-pas-français_" _probably won't get me very far, but we'll see, haha. :) Please review!


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **Hey! :) Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you like chapter 26.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is not mine.

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><p>"So, is bringing underage girls to bars something you do a lot?" Spencer asked Brody innocently. Her voice was casual, like she was commenting on the weather. "Are we the first students of Ezra you've met?"<p>

Spencer Hastings had the subtlety of a bright-red fire truck in a deserted parking lot.

Two minutes ago, Aria had hit the cue ball dead-on, which had connected with a yellow ball, which had then continued to nudge an object ball in a burnt sienna color, which in turn had failed to either make another ball move or fall into one of the six pockets of the table.

Once it was over, Spencer had quickly turned to Brody for pleasant small talk. "Pleasant small talk" quickly turned into "an unpleasant interrogation." Aria didn't blame her friend for wanting answers, but she couldn't admire Spencer's method of acquiring information, though effective.

This was one of Spencer's first questions and Spencer knew it was an inappropriate one. But for once, she didn't care about the social rules and proper conduct she was usually such a big fan of—she just wanted to know what was going on here and Aria was clearly not going to give her the answer.

Now, three things seemed to happen at once, following each other in rapid succession. Ezra took his shot—balls ricocheted together, bounced back, and fell into pockets or lingered on the green cloth. Aria's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from shock as she launched into an uncontrollable couching fit. Meanwhile, Brody quite literally choked on his drink, spitting the large remainder of his gulp on Spencer, quickly turning the whole ordeal into a rather dramatic imitation of a shocking movie scene.

"Fuck!" Spencer hissed through her teeth.

She instinctively sprang backwards as liquid sprayed over her expensive cold dye viscose top. She bumped into Ezra and his cue stick, originally positioned a couple feet behind her, causing her to jump a second time, this time bothering no one in the process. Brody, wide-eyed and bewildered, was staring at Ezra open-mouthed, too preoccupied to apologize to Spencer.

Aria quickly came into action.

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed theatrically, glancing at Spencer's blotched shirt. "We should get those stains out right away." She turned to Ezra, who mirrored the panic in her eyes. "We'll be right back!"

Aria's grip on Spencer's upper arm was firm, leaving her with no room to wriggle free from Aria's grasp without some effort. Aria dragged her friend with her to the ladies' room as forcefully as a 5'2" brunette could, closing the door behind them. Once the safety of the deserted room enveloped Aria, she released Spencer, closing her eyes as she let the woodgrained door support her weight.

Spencer didn't say anything, but the silence in the room was painfully loud as Aria's eyes reopened. She waited while the blurry world around her came back into sharp focus. Spencer was towering over her, a dangerous glint in her eyes, her hands on her hips in a "you have some explaining to do"-manner. Five empty stalls were on Aria's right side, opposite to a similar number of mirrors and sinks. The tiled floor was surprisingly clean for a bar. Actually, the entire flowery-scented room was, unlike Spencer's shirt.

"Okay," Aria declared. "Stains."

She pushed herself away from the door and walked to the nearest sink, twisting the knob full-force. A consistent stream of water poured into the white, porcelain bowl. Spencer turned around to watch, but didn't move, nailed to the ground.

"Aria."

Spencer's voice was tired and stern. She didn't care about her shirt—she would send it to a dry cleaner once she was back in Rosewood.

Aria's back stiffened, her hands tightly gripping the sink. Aria didn't doubt that Ezra currently had some explaining to do, just like she had. She had gone over this moment countless of times in her head—in none of the scenarios she had been in the bathroom of a bar, with Ezra a mere couple feet away.

Spencer could see Aria's reflection in the mirror. Her eyes went back and forth across Aria's face as she studied her intently, determining what the best way was to broach the subject of Ezra Fitz. To her surprise, she didn't have to—Aria did.

"Ezra is my roommate."

Aria practically spit the words out, getting it over with as quickly as possible. _Like ripping off a band-aid_, she thought to herself bitterly. Spencer was Aria's most judgmental friend, which is why she feared her reaction. Initially, though, there wasn't any response. Spencer gave Aria a blank stare as the words sunk in and their true meaning registered. Finally, confusion wrinkled her eyes.

"You're living with Mr. Fitz?" Spencer asked her with a frown. Disapproval was already coating her voice, but doubt was more dominant. "You're living with a _teacher_?"

Aria cringed. "Yes," she said carefully.

"But…," Spencer said slowly, a look of intense disbelief and annoyance splashed across her face, "he's not a college student."

"Neither am I," Aria helpfully pointed out.

* * *

><p>Hardy yelling at him wasn't Ezra's fondest memory. Yet, here it was, happening all over again. Brody's face boiled with anger— his jaw was set, his lips pressed tightly together. This time, however, things were slightly different; Brody was defending Aria.<p>

Ezra knew that the fact that he was dating Aria wasn't the only reason Brody was so angry—Meredith, Brody's sister, had gotten her heart broken during her illicit affair with her college professor. Granted, said professor had been married, but Ezra didn't think that pointing that out was going to help his case much at the moment.

"You'll break her heart," Brody stated matter-of-factly. He stared at his friend with a look of pure disdain.

They were standing near the pool table, but the game had been forgotten and their cue sticks had been discarded with little interest. Ezra was more than a little relieved that the bar was as empty as it was—their voices rose with each word they said; they would have attracted an audience.

"I won't," Ezra replied confidently, clenching his hands into fists.

Ezra and Brody had been friends for four years. Ezra was a little disappointed this was all it took for Brody to doubt him. Ezra understood why student-teacher relationships were a sore subject with him, but he wasn't even giving Ezra a chance to explain. Instead, he'd jumped to conclusions and chosen the side of a stranger, who would have argued that she doesn't need defending in the first place if she got the chance.

"You won't break her heart?" Brody said, sounding skeptical. "How do you know for sure?"

Ezra's reply was contrastingly soft. Brody had to stretch his ears to hear Ezra speak.

"Because I love her. She will break mine."

* * *

><p>Aria recognized the exact moment when, all it once, it hit Spencer. She had been waiting for it to happen.<p>

Spencer's pale complexion paled even further, her skin turning a ghostly white. Her lips turned into a thin line, like she couldn't bear the thought of opening her mouth to ask Aria to explain. Her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows scrunched up, as if she were puzzling over something.

"Yes, he's _that _roommate," Aria said, before Spencer could ask.

Aria was suddenly very interested in the ground she was standing on. She looked down, the purple nail polish on her sandal-wearing toes staring back at her, daring her to look back up and face Spencer.

"Aria, he's our _teacher!_"

Spencer seemed to get great pleasure out of emphasizing that word—teacher—for a millionth time, in case his profession hadn't crossed Aria's mind yet. Her eyes were as judging, and her tone as disapproving, as Aria had expected. Spencer also seemed desperate to understand, though.

"How could this happen?" she asked Aria quietly, her voice dropping to a stage-whisper. Her eyes were searching and she took a deep, calming breath.

"I don't know," Aria mumbled. "One day he just… kissed me."

If Spencer had been expecting something else, she hid it well. Her expression stayed perfectly neutral as Aria recaptured the kiss after her date with Noel; their first kiss. Puzzle pieces seemed to be falling into place in Spencer's head, especially when Aria mentioned borrowing Ezra's car and accidently giving him her keys to Kenneth Hall. Spencer had been wondering why Noel seemed to think Ezra Fitz' car belonged to Aria; it all started to make sense.

Only it didn't.

"People don't just kiss," Spencer argued once Aria was done, who'd requested she'd stay silent while she explained. "That's a conscious decision. I get that he's cute and nice and whatever else you see in him, but he's your _teacher!_"

There was that word again. Aria fought the urge to punch Spencer.

"You could get expelled for this," Spencer went on. "He could lose his job. Hell, he could go to jail! Did you guys even pause to consider that?"

"Of course not!" Aria snapped sarcastically. "Because making hormonal decisions is _exactly _like me."

"Actually, it is," Spencer agreed, dismissing Aria's tone, defiantly sticking out her chin. "You've known him for two weeks. How profound is your love for him really?"

When Spencer put it like that, it sounded awful. Why did Spencer always have to be so logical and so mature about everything? But was she even wrong? You couldn't fall in love in such a short period of time. That was impossible.

Wasn't it?

Aria had been thinking about all day, ever since Ezra had revealed that she had told him she loved him when she was drunk. And she didn't love him; she knew that—it just took her a little longer than that to develop feelings. But she'd come to a startling conclusion; she just might be falling for him. And if there was even the slightest chance that they were meant to be, shouldn't she give that a chance?

"It's complicated," Aria said with a sigh. "We're living together. I can't… escape him. I just need some time to figure it out, to figure _us _out." She looked up and met Spencer's eyes. "Can you give me that?"

_If one could beg with their eyes, this is what it would like_, Spencer decided, staring into Aria's pleading, hazel orbs. It wasn't her business what Aria did and didn't do with Ezra Fitz, Spencer knew that. But, as Aria's friend, it still felt like her business. She felt strangely protective of the tiny girl.

"Alright," Spencer said. She forced the word through her teeth, fighting every urge to take the word back and rant on about irresponsibility a little while longer. But Spencer wasn't Aria's mother. She was her friend, and as her friend, it was her job to support Aria.

Aria blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Spencer to give in that easily. "Re—Really?" she stammered.

"On a few conditions."

Support had its limits. Aria's parents were in Iceland, which meant she didn't have anyone to look out for her. Spencer felt a certain sense of responsibility, even if she couldn't force Aria to do what she wanted her to do.

Aria tensed. "What conditions?"

"Don't let him take advantage of you," Spencer told her without pausing a beat, although "ordered" was perhaps a more fitting word. "I want you to be careful. And… I want to keep an eye on you."

"I can live with that," Aria said quickly, nodding to accept those terms. Spencer "keeping an eye on her" didn't leave her particularly thrilled, but she doubted she would notice the difference, as Spencer was naturally a very observant person.

Spencer hesitated. "I can't keep an eye on you if you won't let me enter Kenneth Hall."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "You want to keep an eye on us when we're together," she stated.

"No," Spencer disagreed. "What I really want is for you not to get hurt. I need you to trust me."

Aria briefly considered it, feeling slightly ridiculous. Spencer didn't have a key; Aria wouldn't have to stick to her word and let Spencer in the apartment at Kenneth Hall once they were back in Rosewood. But—although she doubted that they could change Spencer's mind about them—if there was any way they _could_ change it, it would probably have to happen when Spencer could see the two of them together, as a couple.

"I have a condition of my own then," Aria said after a reasonable amount of time passed.

Spencer nodded, on her guard.

"Don't tell Hanna and Emily about this."

Aria looked straight at Spencer as she said this, her stare adding some weight to her words. She wasn't ready for her other friends to find out yet. She wouldn't be able to focus on getting to know Ezra, figuring out what they were, if her friends kept blabbering on about conventions.

"I think we have a deal."

* * *

><p>The walk back to the hotel was deadly quiet, the silence only interrupted by their shoes connecting with the asphalt and the occasional car or pedestrian passing by.<p>

Brody had already left the bar once Aria and Spencer came out of the bathroom and they'd found Ezra sitting dejectedly on a chair. He was now well-aware that Spencer was staring at him and Aria with a funny expression on her face, but he didn't comment on it. He had no idea what Aria had and hadn't told her.

They reached the hotel soon enough, the end of their tense torture finally near. Twenty-one staircases were faced without fear, but not without irregular breath pauses. They stumbled down the dark hallway, navigating purely by feel.

Aria managed to find their room door first, quickly stuffing the key in the lock and turning it. Meanwhile, Spencer found Ezra, grabbing his wrist. She glanced at Aria, who flipped the light switch, and turned back to the guy she was holding hostage. Ezra's eyes squinted at Spencer's face in the dark, but he didn't dare move; Spencer could be very threatening when she wanted to be.

She lowered her voice, but she managed to express herself perfectly.

"You hurt my friend and I'll hurt you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Please review!


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: **Hello! :) Here's chapter 27. I hope you like it!

_A_—_Thank you for your review. Both of them, actually. :) As for the conversation between Spencer and Ezra; here it is._

_thecandygirl1—Thanks. :) It was a lot of fun._

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is not mine. I used a couple lines from the show.

* * *

><p>Spencer Hastings abhorred morning cheerfulness in all its forms. Her daily dose of caffeine was generous, and most people knew better than to attempt at conversation before she'd had it, as the attempt would be futile, but Ezra Fitz wasn't most people.<p>

Spencer had a strange sense of déjà vu as he collapsed into the chair on her right, installing a bowl of cereal in front of him, and threw a greeting in her direction with strained enthusiasm, which she appreciated about as much as she had the alarm clock jolting her into consciousness thirty minutes earlier. Her response was such an odd hybrid of a grunt and a yawn that, to her horror, Ezra actually paused to mutter, "You're not a morning person, are you?" before taking a bite of his breakfast.

The only thing that was missing from the repetitive scene was Aria.

Spencer frantically racked her brain for a witty comeback as she watched how Ezra chewed and swallowed, before directing another spoonful to his lips. Her face was deceptively calm as she thought about all the things she wanted to say to him, but couldn't phrase in her current fuzzy state.

"I know you don't like me."

Spencer snapped to attention as Ezra broke the silence, looking up at her from under dark eyelashes, and she was suddenly very much awake. He formulated it as a fact, not a question. Spencer didn't correct him, letting the words hang in the air for a moment.

"I don't know how much Aria told you about us, but…"

"Everything," Spencer interrupted briskly. Her face was searching Ezra's in such an obvious manner, it nearly made him fidget under her hard stare. "She told me everything."

Ezra sucked in a breath. "She told you everything," he repeated with a thoughtful nod.

He quickly glimpsed around at the other hotel guests to see if anyone was listening in. It was a weekend and it was New York City, so the breakfast room was fairly busy. He only saw four Rosewood High students, though, and there was a good six feet separating the table he was sitting at from theirs. That didn't stop Ezra from lowering his voice.

"I've only known Aria for two weeks, yet I'm risking my job—my entire career—to be with her right now. It sounds nuts; I know that," he said quietly. He gave a humorless chuckle as he met Spencer's eyes. "I want you to know that _I _know that."

One good night of sleep hadn't given Spencer any more insight in how to deal with this peculiar situation, but she was relieved Ezra at least saw the absurdness of it all. She stayed silent for a brief moment as she tried to figure out how he wanted her to respond.

"Okay," she finally said, staring at him with a blank expression on her face. "Duly noted."

"No, that's not what I…" Ezra shook his head. "I want to try to… explain it you."

Ezra's eyes were intense—too intense. Spencer used her food as an excuse to break their eye contact. She lifted a piece of buttered toast from her plate with exaggerated carefulness and slowly took a bite. She washed it away with orange juice, before she returned her main focus to Ezra.

He removed his elbows from the table and straightened to his full height, before he hesitantly began with, "I had a girlfriend. She… was the first really serious girlfriend I've ever had—I dated other people, but none of them were her. I thought she felt the same way as I did, but when I proposed, she turned me down. I was shocked."

Spencer shifted uncomfortably in her seat, tuning out the chatter of all the other hotel guests. This information was personal—some things you just weren't supposed to know about your English teacher. Meanwhile, Ezra took a deep breath as he mustered up the courage to continue.

"We broke up shortly thereafter and I was heartbroken. It's been over a year since I've even noticed another girl," he said, unable to meet Spencer's eyes as he revealed that tiny piece of information. "But with Aria… When I met her—it felt good. It felt _right_. She looked so sad that day. When I got her to smile…," Ezra trailed off and shook his head, his lips twisting into an involuntary smile. "I know it's wrong in so many ways, but it doesn't _feel _as if I'm doing something wrong when I'm with her—the exact opposite, actually. When I'm with Aria, I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."

He stopped talking, allowing Spencer to draw her own conclusions, and tried to gauge her reaction—she didn't seem particularly moved by his small speech. He wasn't surprised—there was nothing he could do or say to justify his being with Aria and they both seemed to know this.

"You don't believe me?" Ezra mumbled. His voice ended on a high note, unintentionally turning his statement into a question.

"No, I do," Spencer disagreed. She took her fork in her hand and picked around in a bowl of fruit next to her plate. She didn't look up as she added, "From what I'm gathering, I just think you're either a heartbroken asshole who is using my friend as a rebound or a smooth-talking bastard who thinks he's going to get away with screwing my friend and not face the consequences." She looked up at him with an innocent smile. "How close am I?"

_Not very. _

"You think I'm smooth-talking?" Ezra asked her.

An inappropriately-timed attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

Spencer gaped at him, her eyebrows rising incredulously. "_Really_? Out of everything I just said, _that's _the part you're going to focus on?"

She put her fork down and turned around further in her seat to face Ezra, giving him her "go to hell"-stare. Her lips twitched and her jaw tightened, her eyes blazing fire at him. Ezra's grin faltered as he read the gesture perfectly.

"I'm kidding," he backtracked quickly, holding up his hands defensively. "I just… " He sighed. "I want to be neither people you just described. I care about Aria. A lot. But if she decides to go to the principal with this, I'll get fired—I _wouldn't _get away with screwing your friend, as you so nicely put it. Not without consequences and getting fired just might be the best-case scenario. As for my ex-girlfriend—she's not a part of my life anymore. There isn't a moment when I was with Aria when I was thinking about anything or anyone but her."

Spencer took a deep breath—the conversation was already starting to wear her down. She didn't believe in rash decisions made in the spur of the moment, but Ezra had kissed Aria—there was no way to rewrite that part of their history. She still didn't understand Ezra's motives, though. How could he be willing to sacrifice so much for someone he knew so little about?

"Look," Spencer told him. "I hear what you're saying and I'm _trying_ to understand. Aria's seventeen—legally speaking, the age gap is no issue, but that doesn't change the fact that you're her teacher. You're willing to put your job at risk for Aria? You want to prove to me how much you care about her?"

Spencer rose from her chair. Her fruit bowl was only half-empty and she'd only eaten one piece of toast, but her appetite was gone.

"Quit your job at Rosewood High and do this thing with Aria the right way. If you don't, leave my friend the hell alone."

And with that, Spencer left the room, a speechless Ezra Fitz staring after her.

* * *

><p>"…and everything she'd known disappeared, drifting into the summer sky."<p>

Aria exhaled in relief as she read the last line and jubilant applause filled the room. She had stumbled over words several times, but other than that she'd managed to express herself in clear and effective language. She was comforted by the fact that she'd be judged on the actual story, not her composure as she read it.

Spencer had written a brilliant piece as well and what she'd lacked in emotion, she'd made up for in big words. Aria wasn't just the last Rosewood High student to read her story on stage, but she was also one of the last contenders to do so—she hoped the jury had bothered to listen.

Now, Aria's eyes roamed the crowd without her telling them to and she easily found Ezra in a sea of faces. He whistled and cheered with all the others from Rosewood. A small smile flickered over her face as she crossed the stage and walked down the small ladder etched onto the side.

"That was amazing!" Ezra exclaimed once she was within earshot.

It took every ounce of self-restraint he had not to hug her right then and there. Instead, he briefly touched her elbow with his hand to show her that he meant it. Aria beamed, her cheeks turning a furious scarlet.

"I mean, that metaphor at the end…," Ezra continued.

He was cut off by Spencer, rushing to Aria's side a fraction of a moment later. She immediately wrapped her arms around Aria, enveloping her in a public hug, muttering "You did great," into her ear.

Ezra averted his eyes, wincing at the sudden rush of emotion. Teachers didn't hug or touch their students—it was one of the first things they'd taught him in education classes. He knew it was silly to be jealous of Spencer, but he was.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So I've been planning out this story a little bit in my head, and I figured out what's going to happen next and how I'm going to end it. I'm not sure yet how many chapters it's going to be, but I'm guessing round about thirty-five. The next chapter will be set in Rosewood again.

Please review! :)

PS. My laptop charger is broken, which makes writing a little inconvenient. I'll try to update/write the next chapter as soon as I can.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **Hey. :) I've gotten over 500 reviews for this story. Thank you so much!

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is still not mine.

* * *

><p>Ezra did strange things when he was out cold. Or so he'd been told.<p>

Back when Hardy was his roommate—in the literal sense of the word, meaning they hadn't just slept on the same floor, but in the same _room_, sharing a bunk bed and way too much personal space—he'd teased Ezra relentlessly about his quirky habit of laughing while he was asleep.

Waking up in the middle of the night, however, had never been a problem for Ezra up until now, as he involuntarily jolted into consciousness at 3 AM. He stifled a groan in his pillow as he caught sight of the digits on his alarm clock, his eyes heavy-lidded with sleep.

Darkness filtered through his sheer curtains and kindly reminded him that he wasn't supposed to be awake yet at this ungodly hour. He and Aria had arrived at Kenneth somewhere around midnight and Ezra had been hoping to grab as much sleep as he could before facing a roomful of disobedient teenagers.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and wobbling slightly as he stood, Ezra stumbled to the kitchen and promptly located the source of his rude awakening—browsing through cabinets. A light bulb above the kitchen table scattered a small circle of light across the room, murky darkness eagerly waiting to take its place.

"Can't sleep?" Ezra asked.

Aria spun around quickly, her eyes widening slightly. A hand hastily ran through her hair, untangling knots as quickly and discreetly as she could, and she nervously tugged on the hem of her boy shorts with the other.

Blood rushed to her face as Ezra studied the scanty clothing she slept in, staring openly at her for a fraction of a second. His eyes swiftly travelled the length of her, lingering only ever so briefly on her bare legs, and yet they managed to spread a pleasant warmth through her entire body. She shivered, though not because of the faint chill in the air.

"My dad called," Aria muttered, announcing the real reason she was awake—her phone hadn't been on silent. She cleared her throat, forcing her voice to get rid of the slight pitchiness she knew it would contain if she tried to speak again.

"At _three in the morning_?" Ezra inquired, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Six hour time difference," Aria reminded him. Her dad seemed to have forgotten about it, too. "Did I wake you?"

Something on Aria's face stopped Ezra from nodding—perhaps the inexplicable sad look in her hazel eyes, revealing she was hanging onto her composure by a mere thread. He had never seen the vulnerable expression on her face before. Even on the day they'd first met when she'd been upset, she had looked relatively calm and collected.

"You didn't wake me," Ezra lied, speaking softly. "What were you doing?"

He already knew the answer. Even if he hadn't been able to see what was in the cabinet Aria had opened—plates, glasses, and mugs—he would have been able to guess pretty accurately what she was up to.

"I was thirsty," Aria mumbled sheepishly, confirming Ezra's suspicions.

"I'll get you something," he told her with a faint smile on his lips. "Sit."

She must have been tired, because she complied without arguing. She collapsed into one of the wooden ladder-back chairs. Her hand immediately reached for her phone on the table, checking the screen, looking for something she obviously didn't find. Her shoulders sagged in disappointment.

"What do you want to drink?"

"Coffee?" Aria said hopefully.

"It's 3 AM," Ezra pointed out disapprovingly.

"Fine. Make it decaf."

He was too tired to start a debate on her unhealthy vice of drinking coffee, particularly because it was one she seemed reluctant to get rid of—he switched the coffeemaker on. Familiar, muzzy sounds filled the room. The noises the other inhabitants at Kenneth Hall made during the day were easily heard through the thin walls, but now the laughing and toilet flushing was prominently absent

Aria's eyes snapped in his direction and she gave him a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Ezra took it for what it meant, though; a sign of gratefulness.

"You should expand your horizons," he told her. "I'm pretty sure that, aside from scotch, I've never seen you drink anything other than coffee."

"I'm pretty sure we don't have anything else to drink around here," Aria retorted.

"There's always water," Ezra replied.

He chose that moment to take a glass and fill it with water from the sink—the original task he'd come to the kitchen for. He gulped down most of it at once and finished with a deliberate, satisfied sigh. Aria simply rolled her eyes at him and returned her attention to her phone.

Ezra watched her for a moment, his hip leaning against the sink.

"Are you going to call him back?" he asked at last.

Aria dragged her eyes away from the screen and their gazes locked. She seemed hesitant to answer and Ezra could practically feel the conflict in her head.

"I don't know," she said finally.

It was somewhere around 9 AM in Iceland. Byron had called her ten minutes ago, which meant he probably didn't have any morning classes scheduled for today. If she returned his call, he would most likely pick up. Some small part of her, though—so small that it was barely present, yet too big to ignore—wondered if her father had purposely called her at this hour, knowing she wouldn't answer. Her dad wasn't an idiot—she couldn't imagine him accidently forgetting that his daughter was in the United States.

And wasn't it a convenient tactic? If she asked, he could tell her he'd tried to call—he hadn't forgotten about her; he'd just forgotten that she was supposed to be sound asleep when he picked up the phone. He wouldn't have to tell her that he simply didn't want to talk to her.

"I haven't really spoken to my dad since I got here," Aria said quietly. "I've called him. He's just… He's been busy."

Aria watched as Ezra processed that information, weighing her words carefully. When sympathy crossed his features, she wasn't sure how to feel. His unintentional confirmation that it was odd that her father hadn't bothered to check up on his seventeen-year-old daughter, by herself in another country, was like a blow to her chest, but deep down she'd already known it was the truth. At the same time, she gladly accepted his arm for comfort as he sat down next to her, and she buried her face in his chest.

"Your dad would be crazy not to miss you," Ezra mumbled. "I'm sure he would gladly take you back to Iceland right now if he could."

He could feel Aria's petite frame shaking against his larger one as she laughed sarcastically. "Are you kidding?" she said bitterly. "He couldn't wait to get me out of the country!"

Ezra stiffened and leaned back, making it a point to study her face intently. Worry was written all over him as he brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and a few creases between his eyebrows formed.

"I have a hard time believing that," he said slowly, as another thought struck him.

Actually, he had a hard time believing her father had allowed such an amazing girl to live in an unsupervised dormitory with a bunch of college students at all. It had never crossed his mind before to question how Aria had ended up at Kenneth, but for the first time he thought about it. Which responsible adult gave his teenage daughter permission to spend a year abroad like this before she had turned eighteen?

"Well, you don't know my dad," Aria said darkly, interrupting his thoughts.

"You're right," Ezra agreed after a short pause. He was dying to ask her something, but he stored the question away for later. "I don't."

* * *

><p>Four days passed uneventfully and, for once, Aria and Ezra stuck to their rules. They avoided each other at school like the plague, not speaking with each other unless it was an absolute necessity, and Ezra persistently ignored Spencer's disapproving stares.<p>

The girl had clearly interpreted him showing up for work the past week as him dismissing her ultimatum, but he hadn't. Ezra had been thinking about it a lot and done some research, although he hadn't made his decision yet or talked to Aria about it. He'd taken the liberty or reviewing his contract to make sure if leaving this early in the school year wouldn't breach it—it wouldn't, as long as he would give an adequate notice of four weeks before leaving. A resignation letter was the only thing that stood between him and Aria rightfully being together.

But that particular issue was currently the furthest thing from Ezra's mind.

He should have been preparing himself for the AP English class he was supposed to begin teaching in two minutes, but he was using the time for a private conversation instead. Several students had already found their seats, thumbing through pages of the book they were reading in class or talking animatedly with one of their fellow classmates. Ezra sat on the chair behind his desk and Aria stood as close to him as she could in public without attracting attention as he whispered two frightening words: "Jackie's here."

The four walls of the classroom trapped the deafening silence from Aria that followed his statement. She swallowed, unable to speak at first and doubting if she'd heard him correctly. She glanced around uneasily, wondering if anyone else had heard him.

"Jackie, your ex-girlfriend, Jackie?" she finally asked after a long pause. Her voice was hushed, but didn't hide the panic lacing through it as it rose an octave or two. "The one you told I was your girlfriend?"

Thinking about how quickly his lie to get rid off Jackie Molina had turned into reality made Ezra's head spin. His eyes were solemn as he nodded.

"That would be the one," he said, pursing his lips tightly together. He didn't look thrilled, an anxious look on his face. "She works at Hollis, so she's here for—"

"…the college fair," Aria finished weakly, quickly catching on. Numerous signs all throughout the school had given them a heads-up for the occasion.

The annual college fair was an event organized to encourage juniors to start thinking about their future. It was held at the beginning of September, however, to remind the seniors without a clue what to do after high school, once again, to do the same—before applications for early admission were due. On this day, several people from different colleges in the nearby area set up a table in the Rosewood High cafeteria, trying to lure in as many possible future-applicants as possible.

They'd both passed the cafeteria on their way to this classroom—preparations had already begun. Aria hadn't seen Jackie vacating near the Hollis stand and she sure as hell hoped Jackie hadn't seen her, though part of her brain was still simply trying to wrap itself around the fact that they were currently in the same building.

"I just thought I'd give you a warning," Ezra said quietly. "She only saw you once, but be careful when you exit through the cafeteria later today."

The warning in his voice had her heart beating painfully against her chest. All classes after lunch break were cancelled for the college fair, granting three-quarter of the school a weekend that started early. The school had several entrances, but she couldn't reach one from this wing without going through the cafeteria. The building would be swamped with people—it wouldn't be that hard to move through the masses without being noticed—but the slightest possibility of Jackie recognizing her made her want to climb out the window.

"I'll be careful," Aria assured him softly.

* * *

><p>She spent her next four classes in dread, but time inevitably progressed. By the time the bell rang to signal the end of fourth period, Aria's stomach was in knots and her desire to escape through a window had intensified.<p>

She stalled on her way to the cafeteria, which was every bit as crowded as she had expected it to be. Signs with inspirational quotes and catchy slogans covered the walls. Tables with brochures and information sheets were guarded by college professors, each wearing a shirt with the name of the college they worked for on it—to advocate their school spirit, no doubt. Some of them were already making conversation with Rosewood High students.

Aria quickly scanned the room, locating the Hollis stand in a corner of the room—a corner she would avoid with a wide berth. Taking a deep breath and glancing in the direction of the Hollis stand once more, she headed into the cafeteria. She walked with her head down, her hair shielding most of her face.

Nobody paid her any attention as she wove through the crowd, fighting her way to the other side of the room. She'd crossed about half the distance she needed to cross when she bumped into someone, the inconvenience of not looking where you're going quickly becoming apparent.

Aria instantly panicked, her head snapping up with wide eyes.

It wasn't Jackie, of course. A tall sophomore she didn't recognize apologized for bumping into her, despite the fact that the accident had been Aria's fault. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Aria told him not to worry about it and continued walking.

She should have seen it coming. But she didn't.

This time it _wasn't _Aria's fault. The instant her composure relaxed, she felt another body slam into hers, like God was punishing her for letting her guard down. Only one thought raced through her head as a pair of vaguely familiar eyes narrowed in her direction—she hadn't bothered to check if Jackie Molina was standing near the Hollis booth, but she should have.

Aria immediately darted off in another direction, practically running towards the exit. She looked back over her shoulder once more and found Ezra's ex-girlfriend staring after her, a stunned expression on her face. It was the last thing Aria saw before she rounded a corner and fled the building, running towards the escape of her car.

* * *

><p>"Out of all the people there, it <em>had <em>to be her!" Aria complained to Ezra the following day.

It wasn't the first time she was beating herself up over Jackie Molina running into her, quite literally, and Ezra was listening with only one ear by now. He still wasn't convinced that Jackie had recognized Aria, but the tiny brunette wasn't comforted by that possibility.

"Do you even know how unlikely that is?" she asked him. "Statistically speaki—"

She was interrupted by a knock. Aria turned to Ezra with big, fearful eyes and Ezra just sighed, refusing to panic over this like Aria clearly was.

"I'll get it," he told her.

He rose from his chair and opened the door, clearing his throat.

"Can I help you?"

A man stood on the other side of the threshold and he gave Ezra a polite smile, like he didn't have a care in the world. He nodded, his curls bouncing along in synchronism with his head. Meanwhile, Ezra's face drained of color as his eyes fixated on the uniform the man's slightly overweight body was wearing.

"I'm from campus security," he announced with a gravelly voice. "I'm looking for Aria Montgomery."

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><p><strong>AN: **Please review! :)


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Hi! Thanks for the reviews. :) Not a lot happens in this chapter, but I hope you guys will still like it.

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is not mine.

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><p>"Aria," Ezra said pleadingly, "<em>please<em> calm down."

He was standing in the middle of her bedroom, watching as she angrily jammed a bedside lamp into one of the boxes scattered haphazardly across the small room. She ignored him. Her fingers trembled as she closed the lids, struggling to get the corner of the fourth flap underneath the first one. After a few attempts she gave up, cursing under her breath and forcefully shoving the box away. She sat down on her mattress, the springs squeaking in a manner she'd grown accustomed to, and she buried her face in her hands.

She had until midnight to leave the school campus and take her belongings with her or she'd be escorted off the premises. They clearly did not care that she was a minor with no alternative location to spend the night.

Getting kicked out of Kenneth Hall was the least of her problems, though. Her parents had been informed and it wouldn't be long until she'd have to talk to them. For now, her phone was purposefully switched off, but she couldn't avoid the conversation forever. Aria, aware that it wasn't the most mature decision, just wasn't ready yet to talk about when she was returning to Iceland.

She felt the mattress dip further as a presence sat down next to her. A hand touched her shoulder, leaving a trail of fire behind. It was almost enough to distract her.

"It's going to be okay," Ezra told her quietly. His voice was doubtful, though, and did little to reassure even himself. Aria dropped her hands in her lap and slowly guided her eyes towards his.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep," she said, giving him a sad smile.

She was too tired to be angry—she'd passed that stage ten minutes ago, taking her anger out on Ezra, who'd calmed her down pretty quickly. Aria had _known_ Jackie had seen her, but she hadn't been prepared for Jackie reporting her. She assumed that was what happened.

Aria glanced around the room she had lived in for three weeks. She hadn't even bothered to fully unpack, which probably said something about her reluctance to get attached to the place—she had known that there was a possibility that she'd have to leave earlier than planned.

"I don't want to leave," Aria told Ezra honestly.

A pained look took residence on his face. He was still getting over the shock of seeing campus security on their doorstep and reality was settling in way too quickly. They hadn't been careful—he knew that. He just didn't think it would end this badly this soon.

"And I want you to stay," Ezra replied. His arm slipped around Aria's waist and he tightened his grip comfortingly. "Can you crash at Spencer's place tonight?"

He didn't ask her what he really wanted to: did this mean she was going back to live with her parents in Iceland? He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to that question.

Aria shook her head. "Spencer's at their lake house with Hanna and Emily," she said with a grimace on her face. She was supposed to come along, but her parents hadn't wanted her to go. "I guess I'll just get a cheap motel room. I'll talk to my parents tomorrow and see where to go from there."

Ezra frowned. "Aria, you're seventeen; you can't rent a motel room."

"I have a fake ID," she supplemented.

Ezra watched her eyelashes flutter as she blinked innocently at him, before she eyed the time on the alarm clock she had yet to pack. His arm fell limply to his side as she stood, deciding she'd better stay busy. She walked back to the cardboard box she had been trying to close moments ago and bent down, folding the lids much more successfully than the last time she'd tried. When she turned around, her purse was on Ezra's lap and her wallet in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Aria exclaimed incredulously as he opened it.

She tried to snatch the wallet out of his hand, but he easily moved it out of her reach, fishing out the fake ID and studying the card. The picture of the girl smiling at the camera did resemble Aria in some way, if one could look at it with an open mind—they both had chestnut-brown hair, hazel eyes and a gorgeous smile. Their cheekbones were far from identical, but the curve was somewhat similar. It was the weight (173 lbs.) and height (5'10") that created the real problem, as well as the birth date, which said Aria was almost twenty-seven.

"They're not going to believe this is real," Ezra said, gesturing at the card. "How on earth did you get this?"

"Alison gave it to me," Aria replied, her tone somewhat defensive. "But they probably won't even ask me to show my ID."

"And what if they will?" Ezra challenged her. "What are you going to do then, sleep in your car?"

Aria shrugged, grabbing a pile of books from her desk and dropping them carefully in another box—the last one, the third one. "I don't know," she said. "But I don't see any other options, do you?"

Ezra watched silently for a couple beats as she kept moving through the room efficiently. She had been on the verge of hysteria a short moment ago, but she did seem to have a plan. Said plan was awfully flawed, but it was a plan nonetheless and it gave Ezra an idea of his own.

"I'll come with you," he said.

Aria paused and turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow. "You'll what?"

"I'll come with you," Ezra repeated. He got off the bed, crossing the distance between himself and Aria in a few quick strides. "I'm over twenty-one. I can get us both a separate room."

Aria opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. Ezra took action before she could protest. His hands circled around her waist, pulling her body against his own. His lips pressed gently against hers in a sweet, lingering kiss.

"It doesn't feel right to leave you all by yourself in some motel," he said when he pulled back. "I'll come with you," he repeated for a final time.

* * *

><p>Aria and Ezra loaded her stuff in the trunk of Aria's car and left around 8 PM. They planned to drive for half an hour to properly get out of town—if anyone saw them checking into a motel together, it would not look good. They turned it into one hour, though, just to be safe. They stopped on the way to get some food and ate it in the car. It was already getting dark by the time Ezra took an exit on the freeway, following signs directing them to a place to sleep.<p>

"This doesn't look half-bad," he commented when he parked, cutting off the engine.

It was a simple building, brick-y and everything Aria had expected from a cheap motel. They scrambled out of the car. The parking lot wasn't crowded, but it wasn't deserted either. This was probably a good sign—the place was decent enough to stay at, but there would be rooms available.

Gravel crunched beneath their feet as they crossed the lot in silence. The front desk clerk looked up as the door opened, looking incredibly bored with his job. He was slumping in a chair, but quickly stood when potential guests walked in.

"Good evenin'," he said politely with an accent Aria couldn't quite place. His tongue piercing was visible as he spoke, reflecting light. "Can I get you a room?"

It took Aria exactly three seconds to realize this guy was assuming they wanted to share one. She wasn't sure what Ezra saw on her face after she had that realization, but after one quick glimpse at her features he shook his head at the clerk.

"We'll take two, if that's possible," he said.

Aria glanced at Ezra in surprise. "Actually...," she started hesitantly, "would you mind if we got one?"

They had a small staring contest. Ezra could decipher the look on her face without trouble: she didn't want to be alone right now. He held her eyes a moment longer, trying to find out if she was absolutely certain about her decision. The guy behind the front desk watched the two of them with mild interest, trying to mask his impatience.

"Okay," Ezra proclaimed finally, breaking his eye contact with Aria. "One room it is."

They paid for one night and the front desk guy handed them a plastic card. "You're in room 12," he told them, pointing in the right direction.

Ezra started down the hallway and Aria followed close behind. He didn't carry a bag with him. Her own suitcase rolled quietly over the tiled floor. The boxes were still in the trunk of her car.

Room numbers were painted onto the dark wooden doors and Ezra skidded to a halt when he reached the white twelve. He held the card in front of a sensor beneath the door handle. The red light flashed green and the lock clicked before he opened the door.

This was where things got awkward.

The lights switched on like its sole purpose was making the giant bed in the middle of the room painfully obvious. Aria had obviously known when she suggested they share a room this would entail sleeping in the same bed—and she trusted Ezra, no matter how much he put her body on edge. But that didn't mean she couldn't slightly panic at the thought of bunking up with her English teacher.

"Do you want to use the bathroom first?" Ezra asked Aria cordially.

He walked into the room, studying the interior—it was nicely furnished. He turned around to await Aria's answer. She was closer than he expected and his hands quickly grabbing her shoulders were the only thing that prevented her body from colliding with his.

"Err, n—no. No, you go ahead," Aria stammered, dropping her suitcase at her feet. Ezra wasn't sure if this was intentional. "I left my phone in the car. I'll be right back."

He did his best to hide a smile as she practically ran for the door, looking more than a little flustered. He thought it was cute, but made a mental note to ask her one last time if she was okay with them sharing a room once she got back from the car.

Ezra hadn't brought pajamas bottoms—not because he forgot, but because the one pair he owned was currently in his laundry basket. After taking off his shoes, he slowly stripped off his shirt, loosened his belt, and removed his jeans and socks. He wished he'd been smart enough to bring a toothbrush.

Aria returned five minutes later, her phone in her hand with the power still switched off. She had to knock, because she'd forgotten the room key in her hurried escape. Ezra opened the door clad in only his boxers. And Aria had a minor heart attack.

"You're not wearing a shirt," were the first words out of her mouth.

It took her a moment to realize the words had actually tumbled over her lips and her eyes widened in horror when she saw the god-awful smirk on Ezra's face. A blush spread over her cheeks, broadcasting her embarrassment.

They'd been living with each other for three weeks, but they'd both been very careful not to leave their bedroom unless they were properly dressed. Not to mention their unspoken rule of not entering each other's bedrooms without explicit permission to do so. During the few exceptions to that rule, there hadn't been any awkward clothing dishevelment. The one time Aria had seen his chest, she'd had a massive hangover, but it had been a memorable experience nonetheless.

"I'm not," Ezra agreed as Aria's cheeks darkened further. His amusement quickly turned into worry. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Her eyes dropped to his chest as she nodded distractedly. The muscles on his arms weren't bulky, but they were definitely there. His taut stomach and lean limbs were probably enough to giving her some pleasant dreams in the near future.

"I'm okay with it," Aria said once she forced herself to drag her eyes away.

She swallowed. It was going to be a long night.

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><p><strong>AN: **Please review!


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: **I'm sorry! I really am. I don't know how long it's been since I've posted anything, but it feels like a while to me. Each time I sat down to write something, something else seemed to come up. I hope this was worth the wait. ;)

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is not mine. Yadda yadda.

* * *

><p>"Are you planning on joining me or do you prefer to spend the night over there?"<p>

Aria's heart pounded against her chest as she stood in the doorframe separating the bathroom from the bedroom, studying Ezra on the bed, her body consumed with a wave of awareness she'd felt ever since she'd opened the bathroom door. She thought Ezra hadn't noticed her yet, but apparently she was wrong. A small television blared out sounds, captivating his fixed stare. The only evidence that he'd spoken was the slight quirk of the corners of his lips, his eyes never having left the screen.

"I don't know," Aria mumbled slowly. She cleared her throat, fumbling with the hem of her tank top, forcing herself to add a teasing tone to her words. "I think I like the view from up here."

The corners of Ezra's mouth moved up another fraction of an inch at her awkwardly-delivered quip, though her voice wasn't wobbly or trembling; it was deceptively calm. His eyes never wavered as he commented, "Do you now?"

"Mmm."

The prospect of sleeping in the same bed as Ezra was terrifying—but equally exhilarating. Aria couldn't deny that, despite the circumstances, it could provide a much-needed distraction. One she intended to fully take advantage of.

The floorboards creaked as she took a tentative first step, though Ezra didn't look up as his ears picked up the sound. Aria was grateful for that—he was giving her as much time as she needed.

The faint chill in the air hugged her body. She wrapped her arms around her waist, capturing warmth, while she forced herself to stop stalling and keep moving. The distance between the wooden bedframe and her body was both excruciatingly long and brutally short. Ezra's eyes may have been directed at the television screen, but Aria could practically _feel_ his desire to focus his eyes on her.

He didn't move until a foot separated her from her destination. The movement was sudden. He turned around, hands reaching out, grabbing Aria's waist to pull her with him.

A horrible, glass-shattering shriek came out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

Ezra fell back onto the matrass and her chest crashed against his bare one in a manner that was by no means an accident. His fingertips brushed her hips ever so briefly; a whisper of promise against her skin. His lips—a temptation of equal measure—were only a breath away from hers. Meanwhile, Ezra's shoulders vibrated with laughter, a devilish grin residing on his face.

"Jesus, you scared me!" Aria hissed, her posture relaxing slightly.

A tiny giggle escaped her throat—she didn't know if it was because she was nervous or because she was relieved—as Ezra's arms encircled her waist and he rolled them over, his body weight pressing against her as his lips found their way to her ear.

"It's just me," he said softly, his voice a low rumble.

He leaned back slightly until his eyes met Aria's, just in time to see her hazel orbs flicker up and down his body. He leaned in, reading her subtle signals perfectly. Aria, anticipating his kiss, went rigid, then relaxed. Ezra hesitated as well—briefly, gauging her reaction—before he closed the distance with more confidence.

The kiss was gentle, careful, and innocent; awfully chaste, considering they were in bed together. Aria could feel his lips twisting into a smile as he broke it a couple seconds later. Dark curls framed his face as he looked down at her, his eyes as enthralling as ever.

"You're beautiful. You know that, right?"

She shivered involuntarily as his hands ran up her arm. His thumb stroked her jawbone, his intoxicating scent impairing her ability to think rationally—which was exactly what she wanted. Her lips formed an unconscious smile as she looked away, shy under his heavy gaze and words.

Ezra, pleased by her response, lowered his head, tracing the outline of her cheekbone, igniting explosions all over her skin. He reclaimed her lips, proceeding to freak havoc on her nervous system, while his ubiquitous fingers grazed the exposed part of her stomach, delicately tracing her waistline.

Aria's hands roamed, losing herself in the immediate sensation of his tongue in her mouth and his body underneath her hands. His kisses were more focused this time, more intense. The events that had transpired that day became insignificant as she stopped thinking and acted solely on instinct.

The energy in the room shifted quickly after that; the instant they went from kissing to _really _kissing. Aria ran her hands all over him, digging her nails into his skin. The second she registered Ezra's hands somewhere, they were already somewhere else. Their mouths wrestled together, their bodies intertwined in such a manner Aria didn't know where she ended and Ezra began.

She broke free a couple minutes later with a gasp for air when she couldn't ignore the need to breathe any longer, the noise of their uneven breathing easily heard over the television blaring in the background, both of them convulsively inhaling and exhaling.

Ezra's gaze captured hers instantly, so powerful she couldn't have looked away if she would have wanted to. A silent conversation progressed as they both enjoyed the precarious moment for several beats, skin burning where they were touching.

Ezra was the one who broke the eye contact.

His mouth clumsily lowered to kiss her throat. Aria's eyes closed as her head automatically fell backwards to grant him better access. His lips scorched her skin as he buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. His weight pinning her down felt surprisingly comfortable, yet he still wasn't close enough.

Aria's legs wrapped themselves around his waist like they had a mind of their own as Ezra made his way to her breast. His hands groped her back, hitching up the hem of her tank top to allow for more skin-on-skin contact. The straps of her tank tops slipped off her shoulder, revealing some of the black lace underneath. Aria's hand knotted in his dark curls as she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from moaning.

Unsurprisingly, they initially didn't pick up on the shrill, piercing sound of Ezra's phone. It was barely audible above the television audio, which may just as well have been muted as they went at it. The sound registered with Aria first, soon followed by Ezra.

"Shouldn't you get that?" she murmured breathlessly. It took some effort to speak, but she managed. She would be lying if she said she wasn't pleased when Ezra heralded, "It can wait" in between kisses. Once pointed out, though, the noise became impossible to ignore, no matter how much they wanted to do just that.

Aria felt the loss of Ezra's touch immediately as he rolled off her and onto his back, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath, his hand blindly searching the night stand for the high-pitched sound-producing nuisance. His fingers wrapped around his phone. He lifted it, frowning at the screen, and then continued to answer it while he shifted into an upright sitting position.

"Ezra," he barked into the mouthpiece, frustration and annoyance seeping through his voice.

Aria rolled onto her side, her head supported by her propped-up elbow as she watched Ezra. The faint chill in the air had quickly been replaced by a blistering heat and she was fairly certain a blush was coloring her cheeks. Ezra seemed just as affected as her by what had happened, but he also seemed to sober up pretty damn quickly as he listened attentively to whatever the person on the other end of the line was saying.

"I'm not sure. It's a long story," he finally said with a small, uncomfortable chuckle and a brief glance in Aria's direction. He listened for a moment longer before continuing with an incredulous, "You did _what_?!"

Aria instantly grabbed the remote control and pressed the mute button, while lines of worry appeared on Ezra's forehead. He rubbed his temple with his left hand as he listened, his right hand being the one thing that held the phone to his ear.

"Err, I'll be back in Rosewood tomorrow," he said warily and Aria thought she detected an urgency that hadn't been there before. "We'll work something out." Silence. "Okay."

He lowered his phone, ending the call without a proper goodbye, turning towards Aria with an apologetic smile on his face. Aria simpered in response, her hand carefully reaching out to touch Ezra's arm.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"Brody called," Ezra replied. "He's in Rosewood."

Aria felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. Out of all the people she had assumed it could be, he hadn't even been a remote top-suspect. She wondered what on earth he could have said that had made Ezra pale considerably, the healthy color she'd brought to his cheeks disappearing just as quickly as it had come.

"Oh." For lack of anything better to say and out of genuine curiosity she inquired, "What did he say?"

Ezra took a deep breath, placing his phone back in its original spot, before he met Aria's eyes. The look on his face made her shrink backwards, though she quickly realized the anger in his eyes wasn't directed at her.

"I think I know why you got kicked out of Kenneth Hall," Ezra said darkly, ignoring her question. Quietly, more to himself, he added, "It wasn't Jackie."

* * *

><p>Aria woke the next morning even more entangled with Ezra than she'd been when she'd gone to sleep, so similar to the first time they'd woken up together, and yet the circumstances were oh-so-different. Aria lifted his heavy arm off her waist and managed to carefully wriggle free from underneath it.<p>

She couldn't help the tiny smile that graced her lips as she watched his still-sleeping form for a couple beats; he looked peaceful. She wished she had the ability to capture the moment and make it last longer than it would. But she didn't.

Dragging her eyes away, she crossed the room where her clothes were laying on the floor. She gathered them in her arms and escaped to the bathroom, silently closing the door behind her. She sat down on the edge of the bathtub and searched the pockets of her jeans until she found the one that contained her phone.

She held her breath as she pressed the power button and the screen lit up, familiar images flashing before her eyes. Eight missed calls and three voicemails, which she deleted without even listening. Five text messages, each one getting more and more frantic, were briefly looked at, before she gathered enough courage to dial her mother's phone number.

Ella Montgomery picked up on the first ring, like she'd been waiting anxiously by the phone for exactly this moment. Aria wouldn't be surprised if her mother had done just that.

"Aria?" Judging by her mother's voice, she'd surpassed the state of "worried" a long time ago. Ella sounded downright hysterical, both the relief and worry in her voice more than evident. "Are you okay? Where are you? Do you have any idea how worried your father and I have been?"

"I'm fine, mom," Aria assured Ella swiftly, suddenly overcome with guilt for not calling. She kept her voice down to something barely above a whisper, in case Ezra was still asleep in the room next to her. "My roommate checked into a motel with me. I'm going straight to Spencer's house once we've checked out."

Aria didn't think now was the right moment to tell her mother said roommate was male, so she cleverly avoided the words "him" and "he". She anxiously bit her lip as she waited for a response. She could hear her mother tell someone on the other side of the line she'd finally gotten ahold of Aria. She assumed it was Mike or her dad.

"You should have called," Ella finally said accusingly. Her voice was tired and Aria wondered how many hours her mother had gone without sleep since she had received the phone call that had informed her that her daughter had been kicked out of Kenneth Hall.

Aria didn't bother lying about her phone dying, because the attempt would be futile. All her worldly possessions were either in this room or in her car, including her phone charger. Even if she truly lost her phone, she could have asked someone to borrow one.

"I'm sorry," she said instead. "I know I should have called."

Her mother didn't reply, though the other side of the line was far from quiet. Fear overtook Aria's body instantly. She listened to the tumultuous noise in the background for a moment before carefully asking, "Mom, where are you?"

"The airport in Boston."

Aria's jaw dropped, though she had feared this answer. "You're _what?_"

"Actually, I have to go," Ella said. "I'm sorry, sweetie. A stewardess just told me to turn off my phone."

Aria's blood ran cold, her grip on her phone tightening as her panic grew. Her parents couldn't come to Rosewood. And she couldn't go back to Iceland. But that didn't stop her mother from uttering some pretty damn terrifying words: "We'll be there in a couple hours."

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><p><strong>AN: **Please review! :)


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: **I'm finishing this story! Don't worry, it may take some time, but I _will _finish it. ;)

**Disclaimer: **"Pretty Little Liars" is not mine.

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><p>Aria dreaded whatever was about to come as soon as she stepped out of the safety of her car and it sped away with Ezra behind the wheel, slowly growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared altogether, Ezra's absence instantly tangible as the distance between their bodies expanded. Aria reluctantly turned around and shielded her eyes from the morning sun, staring down the Hastings' residence, which was without a doubt a sight to behold.<p>

The Hastings' mansion probably would have been a historic landmark, had most of the oldest parts not been ripped down and replaced many times over the years. The white-painted house still had some remarkable traditional elements, but all the battered bits and pieces were long gone and naturally electricity, plumbing and other luxuries had been added. Perfection was a concept deeply imbedded in the Hastings family and the house projected it impeccably, as did the well-groomed lawn Aria had to cross in order to get there.

She tentatively rang the doorbell and listened to the familiar echo that followed. The door opened seconds later. Spencer, wearing a _Charlie & Robin_ tie neck sweater dress, didn't look surprised to see her standing on the other side of the threshold.

"Aria," was the only word she said. It wasn't a question or an exclamation of surprise so much as it was a simple statement, and the wave of sympathy Spencer delivered with it almost knocked Aria over, unconcealed compassion filling her friend's eyes.

"Spencer," Aria replied with the same earnestness as Spencer had spoken. The right corner of her mouth briefly lifted in amusement, before she caught sight of the expression on Spencer's face, causing her to sigh. "Don't look at me like that! I'm fine."

Aria managed to screw up her face in a fair approximation of a smile to support that, but it was a weak effort, and Spencer's left eyebrow subsequently raised in a typical and slightly skeptical manner, challenging Aria to disagree with her disagreement. Spencer had been filled in on the current "rough patch" Ezra and Aria were going through and knew the clandestine relationship seemed to have reached an impasse.

"The hell you are! It's okay not to be okay, Aria," Spencer said. "I don't know how you're holding yourself together."

This was followed by a carefully calculated series of maneuvers that allowed her to display her sympathy without actually voicing it out loud; a commiserating smile and the returned compassion in her chocolate-colored eyes being the key components, a hug the grand finale.

"Practice makes perfect," Aria said only half-jokingly as Spencer released her, a tight feeling of bitterness in her chest—directed at nobody in particular—as she spoke the words. She clenched her hands into fists, more grateful than she could put into words to have a friend who could sympathize, but simultaneously thoroughly frustrated that she was in this position in the first place.

Spencer self-consciously glanced over her shoulder and refocused on the tiny brunette currently standing in front of her. "Emily and Hanna are still here, but do you want to come in?" she asked, her voice lowered.

Aria's back stiffened. She glanced over Spencer's shoulder through the hallway, attempting to look into the kitchen and the living room, but couldn't catch a glimpse of her other friends.

It wasn't that Aria was closer to Spencer than she was to the other girls—although the secret she shared with Spencer sure made it feel that way. Spencer just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when she'd seen Aria exit Ezra's hotel room in New York. Before that, Aria had been just as reluctant to tell Spencer about Ezra as she now still was to tell Emily and Hanna, though keeping something so a big a secret from them was a challenge in itself.

"I haven't told them anything about what happened yesterday, but maybe you should," Spencer added as a suggestion. "They're your friends. They'll understand."

Aria could help the sarcastic snort that escaped her. "Because _you _took it so well?"

"I"—Spencer gave a nod, admitting her defeat on that point of the discussion without a counterattack—"could have handled it more graciously, yes. But, though I stand by what I said, I think we both know that Hanna and Emily won't exactly jump down your throat like I did."

Aria shook her head, unconvinced. "I know, but I can't. I just can't blurt it out to them today. Not when my parents could be here any minute."

Spencer held Aria's gaze for a moment longer, looking like she wanted to say something but then changed her mind, and finally, she nodded. "It's your decision."

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><p>The Hastings family was noticeably absent—the parents and the eldest child, that is—, meaning the girls had the house to themselves. Aria didn't confess to being kicked out of Kenneth Hall and stayed very tight-lipped about the fact that her parents would arrive in Rosewood today. Instead, she questioned her friends about their night at the lake house, which had been cut short when it turned out that the household furnace was broken, and brushed off any and all questions about Ezra.<p>

It was an Oscar-worthy performance and she talked like she hadn't been able to talk with friends in ages, hiding her growing unease with more and more laughs as the minutes went by. She had made some quick calculations in her head. Her parents had probably taken the 6 AM flight, which meant they would arrive in Rosewood roughly around noon and head straight for Spencer's house, as that was where Aria had told her parents she'd be.

The doorbell rang at approximately 11.30 AM, forty-five minutes after Aria had arrived at Spencer's house, which meant her parents were right on cue.

Spencer had never seen the fearless girl look so scared before in her life, who seemed to be contemplating bolting out the back door. Aria's breathing became shallow as she turned to Spencer with a desperate look in her eyes, suddenly realizing she'd wasted the past hour making small talk with her friends in Spencer's living room when she should have been looking for an alternative location in Rosewood to reside.

"Aria, it'll be fine," Spencer said, trying to sound assuring, at the same time Emily peered at Aria with a funny expression on her face and asked, "Are you all right?"

Hanna switched her gaze to Spencer, trying to gain some insight as to why the atmosphere in the living room had changed so quickly and suddenly, sensing Spencer was the one who knew more. Spencer's look, giving away a clear "back off"-vibe, made her break the eye contact just as quickly as she'd made it.

"I'll get the door," Hanna said uneasily after it became apparent Spencer was going to stay stationed by Aria's side on the couch, her hand placed comfortingly on Aria's shoulder. Hanna escaped the room, plastered a hospitable smile on her face and opened the door.

To say there was a moment of awkwardness when she succeeded in doing those things would be a great understatement.

Ezra, Brody and Hardy got the tribute of a moment of stunned silence, Hanna being seconds away from doing a typical jaw drop. Her eyes flared in shock as her English teacher—with nothing more than an amiable "Hello Hanna!"—brushed passed her with two strangers, both in possession of an admirable physique, in tow.

Hanna, nailed to the spot, processed this for several seconds, before it dawned on her that they'd actually entered the house without her permission and she scrambled after them, her weak protests futile. The guys checked two doors, concluding that the rooms behind them were empty, before they discovered Spencer, Aria and Emily in the living room. Hanna caught up with them just in time to see Aria rise from the couch, eyes widening, a stunned "Ezra?" leaving her lips.

Things happened quickly after that, though time seemed to freeze.

The two remaining girls sitting jumped to their feet, joining the rest at a higher level. Aria's eyes darted around uncertainly, her body paralyzed in horror, though relief her parents hadn't arrived yet was sweeping through her body as well. Meanwhile, Spencer and Ezra exchanged uncomfortable glances, the tension registering with them quickly.

"Mr. Fitz?" Emily exclaimed unsurely, her request for a confirmation of his presence making it all the more obvious how out of the ordinary it was.

"Hello again," Brody said barely a second later when Ezra didn't respond, his eyes running appraisingly over the interior design of the living room. "Aria, Spencer," he said, nodding at the both of them as he said their name. Hardy nodded at Spencer in acknowledgement as well, being on good terms with his girlfriend's sister, and gave Aria a tight smile that _almost _reached his eyes. Brody's gaze stayed glued to the floor and he was a mere accessory to the event that was about to transpire.

"Spence, why is our English teacher in your living room?" Hanna asked after noting that nobody was further commenting on Ezra Fitz' presence, taking matters into her own hands. She eye-balled everyone in the room, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"He…," Spencer started. She didn't finish, more preoccupied by Ezra taking a step in Aria's direction, touching her arm.

"I need to talk to you," he said, gently prodding Aria to move by softly pulling her elbow. He glanced uneasily at the remaining three English students in the room, quickly picking up on their astonishment, before he added, "Alone."

In puzzled silence, everyone turned around to stare at Aria

Aria—aware she needed to explain, elaborate, contribute _anything _to the conversation—opened her mouth, but no words came out. Hanna's eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets, the expression on her face consisting out of a strange mixture of pure disgust, genuine confusion and blunt awe. Stark disbelief was in Emily's eyes as she cocked her head to the side, looking between her English teacher and her formerly-estranged best friend.

Oh, no. Oh, no.

Hanna and Emily hadn't put the pieces together yet entirely, but Aria knew it was only a matter of seconds now. Her heart thudded loudly as she contemplated how to proceed, reminding herself not to panic. She had to say something. She was aware she had to, but she had no clue where to start.

"I… Err," Aria stammered. A strange strangling noise came from the back of her throat.

"Aria? Spence?" Emily said questioningly when she didn't say anything else. "What's going on?"

Aria, head reeling, looked at Ezra for support. Hanna, looking thoughtful, glanced at Ezra as well, but for different reasons, remembering the time she'd walked in on Ezra hugging a crying Aria. Slowly, her jaw lowered, until she was openly gaping at her friend.

"No!" Hanna breathed, her eyes widening.

Aria, catching the sudden change in Hanna's demeanor, took a shaky breath, her heart plunging.

"Aria?" Emily tried again.

"Spencer?" Hanna asked immediately afterwards, briefly looking at the girl for confirmation, before returning the main focus to Aria.

Aria's eyes went from Hanna to Emily and back to Hanna in a panicky manner, as she was not sure which one to address first. Both of them were staring holes into her head, regarding her as though she had suddenly turned into a guitar-playing dog. She was too distracted to determine whether they were appalled or impressed.

"Look… We're actually in a hurry," Hardy chimed in, glancing pointedly at his watch, speaking for the first time since he'd entered the house. The attention in the room shifted. Aria blinked, frowned, and turned towards Ezra.

"What's he talking about?" she muttered.

Ezra had frozen on the spot the second he became fully aware that Hanna and Emily, who didn't know about his relationship with Aria, were in the room and he hadn't moved an inch since. Now, he cleared his throat, not bothering to hide the fact that he was very uncomfortable.

"Hardy and I may have a solution," he said. "For your living situation, I mean. But if we want to explore that option, we're going to have to go right now."

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><p><strong>AN: **Not a great chapter, but it's an update. Please review! :)


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N:** An update! I know. I was surprised too.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah.

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><p><em>"Hardy and I may have a solution," he said. "For your living situation, I mean. But if we want to explore that option, we're going to have to go right now."<em>

Aria blinked, for a brief period of time too confused to respond.

They hadn't discussed what would happen once her parents arrived in Rosewood, but ultimately the decision of where Aria would spend the remainder of the school year would be theirs.

Bringing up the worst-case scenario was something neither of them had dared to do last night, both selfishly avoiding the topic out of a not irrational fear it could very well become reality. Talking about Aria staying, on the other hand, would have been downright naïve, too optimistic, and was avoided with a wide berth as well—although Ezra hoped that the fact that Aria had already started out her senior year in Rosewood tipped the scale slightly in their favor.

Assuming she _wanted _to stay, that was, but Ezra didn't doubt for a moment that was indeed what she wanted. The girl had lived here almost her entire life and regarded the town as her home; that was one of the main reasons she had returned to Rosewood in the first place. Ezra wasn't so stupid to think she would stay only for him—she would stay for herself. But he liked to believe him being here made choosing between home and family a little bit easier.

Aria's parents weren't the concern right now, though. Emily and Hanna were still staring at their friend. Hanna recovered first and broke yet another silence.

"She's not going anywhere with you," she stated. Ezra assumed by the unfavorable glint in her eyes that the blonde had decided he was the enemy. She didn't seem entirely convinced it was the appropriate label for her English teacher, though, because she glanced back uncertainly at Aria for confirmation. "Right?"

Aria had always been surprisingly mature for her age within Ezra's presence. She wasn't easily stunned into silence—something he'd discovered the moment he first ran into her in the Rosewood high school hallways. She was also a good liar, though her striking eyes often seemed to reveal a lot. And when it came to lying to the people she cared about, she was clearly conflicted.

"I—we have to go right now?"

It appeared she preferred ignoring them altogether.

Aria readjusted her long dark locks nervously and Ezra smiled a reassuring smile at her—just barely; a brief, flitting thing. Hanna watched from under knitted eyebrows, interpreting Aria's question as an answer to her own, as the tall brunette nodded and the tiny brunette glanced at the clock.

"Fine," she said, eying Hardy and Brody. She turned to Emily and Hanna, very conscious of the fact that she wouldn't be able to walk out of the Hastings' manor without a word. "Guys, I…"

"He knows, doesn't he?" Emily interjected, subjecting Ezra to a catechizing stare. She'd been quiet, but those were the dots she'd connected. "Where you live?" She swiveled her focus on Aria.

"He does," she said slowly, dragging out the two syllables.

She considered mentioning that he evidently knew where Spencer lived as well, but bringing that up felt pointless when her friends clearly already knew it was her he was here to see. She didn't provide any more details, and—while a teacher showing up unannounced at one of his students' houses was without question still odd, to say the least—she hoped it would just maybe be enough to satisfy Hanna and Emily for now.

If possible, Hanna's frown had deepened ever further. Moments ago, she'd appeared very certain of what was going on. Now she seemed confused again, still puzzling over something. Aria was fairly certain Hanna was aware of the true nature of their relationship, or at least suspecting it. But for once, she wasn't exactly sure what the blonde was pondering over.

The truth was a conclusion Hanna wasn't likely to reach on her own, though; by some cruel twist of faith Aria had ended up living in the same building as her English teacher. She had delivered that particular news to Spencer in the only way she knew how; by just spitting it out. For obvious reasons, she was hoping to bring it across more sophisticatedly the second time around. How to do that, she wasn't sure.

"So…," Hanna started. She wasn't making any effort to mask the suspicion visible in her eyes, openly staring at her English teacher. "…what, you guys are sleeping together?"

If Hanna hadn't been pissed, she might have laughed at how quickly and dramatically everyone reacted. Spencer coughed, unsuccessfully trying to cover up a snort at Hanna's bluntness, and Emily's jaw seemed about ready to unhinge from her skull, her mind not having wandered down _that _particular road quite yet, just because it seemed too unlikely.

"Hanna!" she hissed warningly.

Hardy and Brody seemed mostly amused, partly uncomfortable discussing their friend's sexual relationship with a minor. Aria's cheeks turned a bright pink while looking like she very much wanted to be somewhere else. She dragged her eyes away from Ezra, suddenly feeling guilty for even looking vaguely in his direction. What Hanna was suggesting—they weren't quite there yet. But then again, they weren't that far off either.

"Oh, whoa!" Aria stammered. "Han, no!" She pressed her lips together, sneaking a glance at her English teacher. "God, no. We're—we're not sleeping together."

"I can confirm that," Ezra pitched in. He sheepishly scratched behind his ear, one of his many tells that he was nervous.

His mind briefly wandered back to the night before, when they'd done exactly that, though just sharing a bed was clearly not what Hanna was getting at. Discussing whether or not it actually qualified as "sleeping together"—in front of his high school students, with two of his best friends lurking about—was not exactly a journey he eagerly wanted to embark on however.

And thinking about _actually _sleeping with Aria was something he definitely didn't want to. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't taken a cold shower once after being in her near proximity. Hell, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't studied the Pennsylvania laws regarding statutory rape very carefully—and because Aria was seventeen years old, having sex with someone more than four years her senior would be legal.

But he knew she wasn't ready. And pressuring her into something she wasn't ready to do was, in his eyes, a lot more wrong than disobeying the law, had that been an issue. And, of course, he would never be able to change the fact that their relationship, if it ever were to become public knowledge, would be heavily frowned upon, especially when taking into account that it could cost him his job and get him quite possibly charged for corruption of a minor.

"What then?" Hanna enquired skeptically, cocking her head to the side. "You always show up on your students' doorsteps?"

"We're not sleeping together, Han," Aria insisted again. She had the decency to look slightly insulted, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

From across the room, Spencer raised an eyebrow, slightly skeptical, but lowered it quickly to avoid a withering glare from Aria. Hanna didn't look all that convinced. If she felt any remorse for suggesting Aria and Ezra had slept together, she didn't show it. Frankly, she looked like their denial wasn't doing anything but fuel her suspicions. Meanwhile, Emily just looked confused.

"I think you're missing the important question here," Spencer said, either to Hanna or no one in particular. Aria couldn't tell, because Spencer was looking her right the eye. Spencer's focus shifted to Fitz, however, when she continued speaking. "Why are you at _my_ house—," she glanced at Aria once more, "—to see her?"

The question stunned both of them. Spencer knew Ezra Fitz knew where she lived. He'd personally dropped Aria off at her house before her date with Noel. A fact Spencer had been informed of soon after she'd been filled in about the true extent of Aria's relationship with Ezra. She was also well-aware Ezra had to have known Aria was at her house this morning, which is why the question—however obvious it may be—threw them off all the more, coming from Spencer.

A brief pause followed.

"I gave him your address," Aria said finally. She forced the words through her lips before the silence dragged on for too long. The next part came out more hesitantly. "I, uh… called him. He's been helping me with a few things."

Ezra's gaze flickered briefly to Aria. Her face had changed, a tiny shift he could barely make out, but she looked both so absolutely beautiful and so horrifyingly terrified, it almost took his breath away. One of their many silent conversations progressed and finally he broke their eye contact. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he felt obligated to clarify.

"I was aware of her living situation," he said. "So when she got kicked out of Kenneth Hall, she asked me for help."

The lie came out smoothly, which is why he was momentarily confused when Emily and Hanna stared at him like this new information was about as shocking as a man having three nipples. He didn't realize his mistake until seconds later.

"You got kicked out?" Emily repeated. The expression of her face was hurt. "Why didn't you tell us?"

And Ezra saw panic flash in Aria's eyes once more.

"I was going to tell you," she said feebly.

But as she said the words, she tried to remember why she hadn't. Did she just want a distraction? Pretend it hadn't happened so it would go away? Or had she gotten so good at hiding things from the people she cared about—not just since she'd arrived in Rosewood, but back in Iceland, too—that she'd done it automatically, not pausing to think if coming clean in this case was the better option?

"When did you get kicked out?"

"Yesterday."

"Aria," Emily said disapprovingly, worry seeping through her voice.

"Look, my parents are going to be here at any moment," Aria said. "I was going to tell you then."

Hanna frowned again. She hadn't been doing much else since the three men had arrived. She hated not being in the loop, not being one of the people who knew what exactly was going. "Wait, yesterday?" she echoed. "Where'd you spend the night?"

"A motel," Aria replied as casually as she could muster. She struggled to contain a neutral expression on her face, having expected the question, but failed pretty quickly. Somewhat self-consciously, glancing uncomfortably at Ezra's friends, she added, "My roommate was with me."

"What?" Brody blurted immediately, his eyes finding Ezra's.

Hanna didn't bother hiding a tiny grin on her face. She was insulted Aria hadn't told her any of this, but she was still familiar with her friend's crush on her roommate. It was the one thing that confused her about Ezra Fitz's presence—Aria was interested in someone else.

Except…

"That'd be Ezra Fitz," Aria continued, gesturing at said man.

On her right, Ezra spluttered in surprise. He glanced at her, eyes wide. "Really?" His voice was incredulous. "_That i_s the best way you could think of to tell them?"

But her words had the desired effect.

Recognition dawned on Hanna instantly, the last piece of the puzzle she'd been looking for appearing out of thin air in her hand, completing the picture. "Oh, my God," she said slowly, glancing between the two. "You _are _sleeping together!"

Aria held her hand up quickly. "We're not! I promise we're not! Only in the literal sense of the word."

Emily took only a second longer. She confusedly took a step backwards, disbelief on her features. "You… and Mr. Fitz?"

Spencer, of course, already knew, but appeared satisfied with the revealed information. Hanna picked up on this and looked at her accusingly. "You knew about this."

Spencer shifted uncomfortably. "I found out in New York."

Brody and Hardy were the ever silent spectators, faces still shocked by Aria's not-so-subtle reveal of what still was oh-so-shocking news for her friends, but this was where Brody spoke up again. "So did I, which is where things went wrong."

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><p><strong>AN: **I'll try to give you guys a quicker update next time. I know how much I hate it when people don't update the stories I read. If you want you can check out the first chapter of Pretty Woman, another story I started.


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